Silver Linings
by Copperfishy
Summary: Elena is on the run from a horrific past and winds up in a small coastal town. There she meets Damon and his niece and nephew that he's practically raised since they were born. Sparks fly and a new romance begins. Elena just wants to move on, but the past doesn't want to let go.
1. Chapter 1

So this is my first every story posted, but it's far from the first one I've written. I fell in love with The Vampire Diaries almost four years ago and I've been writing Damon and Elena for about three years.

This story was inspired by the movie Safe Haven, so if you've seen it you will notice a lot of similarities. However, I've put my own twist on a few different aspects and of course it's all Damon and Elena.

If there's any interest in this story, I'll continue to post. The story is completely finished except for the epilogue which I'm still working on.

Let me know what you think!

* * *

 **Silver Linings**

 **Chapter 1**

As I watched the break of dawn through the cold glass window of the bus I was on, I wondered what state I was in now and if it was far enough away from Virginia. The vibrations from the rumbling engine began giving me a headache from where I had been sleeping against the glass, not that I was getting any sleep anyways. I sat up straight and readjusted the pillow case filled with clothes and the essentials beneath my shirt just as I noticed that an older woman had taken the seat next to me.

I glanced over at her and she smiled, motioning to my stomach, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," I whispered back with a small smile.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Um…" I hesitated, nervously glancing down. "I wanted to wait until it was born to find out."

Good to know that my plan of appearing pregnant was working. The less I looked like myself the better. I pulled my hood further down over my hair and face as the woman next to me nodded and left me alone. I caught a smudge of brown hair dye on my hand and rubbed it with my thumb, but it didn't come off. I guess I'd have to wait until I found a sink to get it off. I'm still not used to how short it is either. The long, straight, blonde locks no longer reached the small of my back like they did just the other night. The loose brown curls now fell to my breasts like they did in high school.

 _He_ made me dye my hair blonde because he thought I looked better like that. I thought that the color was too light for my tanned olive complexion and it made me look like some bottle blonde slut, but he didn't, so I did it. It was kind of nice to be back to my natural color now.

Just like it was nice to finally be getting away from him. I saw a sign on the highway that read Bangor, Maine, ten miles ahead. I wasn't sure what our next stop was, but this bus was a tour bus so we'd be stopping soon. I caught a bus originally headed for Quebec, but my passport wasn't on the top of my list of things to bring when I ran. So when we reached Albany, I snagged a ride on another bus. It was a tour bus of sorts headed up the east coast. It stopped in a few coastal cities so the tourists could see the sights, then it crossed into Canada to New Brunswick.

I'd have to get off before then, so now I was just deciding which town would be my indefinite home for the indefinite future. My stomach churned at the thought of what could be happening right now back in Virginia, so I quickly banished the horrific images flashing through my mind and focused on the scenery. The orange rays from the sun began drenching the greenery in their light, and the occasional tree cast a long shadow that flickered across my face as we drove down the road. I squinted in the harsh light, still not quite prepared for what comes next.

I guess I'm not really even sure what comes next.

I closed my heavy eyes again and decided against looking out the window. Maybe I could catch a few more minutes of sleep, if I'm lucky. Just as I was on the brink of falling into that sweet slumber, more images of blood, pain, and fear flashed through my mind. I saw his face, contorted in surprise and pain as he fell to the floor. I saw my hands stained red with the sins I never imagined I'd commit. I saw my tear streaked face as I sobbed in the bathroom mirror of my best friend's house while her hands worked the brown dye into my hair.

I could hear Bonnie telling me that everything was going to be okay, but for the first time in my life I didn't believe her. Nothing was going to be okay. I'd never be the same, not that I really wanted to go back to the woman I was. She was scared. She was a coward. She just sat there and took it.

This new me, though incredibly damaged, didn't take anything from anyone. I was through with feeling so small and useless. I couldn't take anything back now, so there was no point in pretending to be who I was. I was different now. I don't know if I'd call myself stronger, but at least I finally did something about it.

Bonnie told me not to blame myself and feel guilty for what happened. He brought this upon himself. I don't feel guilty for it either. I feel relieved that I'm finally a thousand miles away from him. I'm starting over. New beginnings, and all that.

It's funny; I always imagined what it would be like to escape him and give life another go. I just never thought that this was the way it would have happened. With Bonnie giving me all the cash she could find along with some clothes, the basic toiletries, and a ride to the bus station. I don't know what I would have done without her. I'll never be able to thank her enough.

When I got settled somewhere, I promised her that I'd call to tell her that I'm safe. I'll have to find a way to make this up to her later when everything has smoothed out. _If_ everything gets smoothed out.

All I can hope for is that he doesn't find me; no, that he _can't_. I left all of my credit cards at home and took only my driver's license so he couldn't track me. I was careful to hide my face and change my appearance as much as possible. I knew all of the tricks. It was one of the perks to being with a cop.

I was just hoping that it would be enough to escape the same cop that I learned them from.

I'd like to think our relationship had always been great. He was my high school sweetheart. We moved in together right after graduation, and I began college while he went to training to be a police officer. We had been happier than anything back then. I thought he was the one. I thought that we were going to live happily ever after with kids and a white picket fence.

But things went south around the time that I graduated college. I scored an amazing job making a six figure salary. Matt had known that it would have taken him years to make as much money as me, if he ever did. He felt intimidated, so he made sure to put me in my place. He made sure that I never thought I was better than him. He made me think that I was nothing without him. That without his guidance, I'd never survive. It was like I didn't have a mind of my own. He destroyed me to the point that I was emotionally dependent on his praise. I would have done anything for it, even though I knew how wrong it was.

Actually, I did anything for it because the alternative was worse. If I disappointed him, or did anything he didn't like, his fists made sure I never made the same mistake twice. In a way, his words were worse than the physical blows. He took my confidence and self worth and shredded them to tiny bits until I was a shell of myself. At our five year high school reunion, I barely even recognized myself in the pictures of us smiling with our friends and making faces at prom. I had to do a double take just to make sure it was me.

It was from that day on that I fully understood how unhealthy our relationship was. I no longer loved him, but I couldn't leave him. He would come home drunk telling me how much he loves me and how much he needs me, and a part of me was scared that if I did try to leave he'd track me down and bring me back. He'd make my life a living hell. If I thought it was bad before…well, if he found me now I'm not so sure I'd live to tell the tale.

Alcohol was his choice of coping mechanism. When he wasn't happy with his life, he'd resort to getting drunk and controlling me. I had clung so tightly to who he used to be that I couldn't see who he had become. I didn't want to see who he became, because if I did then that meant everything people tell you about abusive relationships is true, and that I just became another statistic. I became one of those women that stayed with their abuser and nobody understood why. Nobody could understand why because even I wasn't entirely sure.

Even just thinking that I was one of those women was too much, so I pretended that I was fine. Nobody knew anything was wrong, only Bonnie. But even she didn't know the depth of how bad it was.

From the outside, we were Matt Donovan and Elena Gilbert: the picture perfect couple. We went out to eat every Friday night to the same restaurant where everyone knew us. Our favorite waitress would always ask me when we were going to start our family, and Matt would assure her that he had plans on having children soon. We would go to all of his friends' houses for work parties and his buddies on the force would tell him how jealous they were that he scored a woman like me. While the guys sat around drinking beers I would go into the kitchen with their wives and girlfriends and listen to them gossip and tell me about how good Matt and I were together.

But behind closed doors, we were both living in hell. Or at least I was. Matt wasn't happy either, but he'd never admit it. It would have wounded his pride and worsened the violence. I feared even sleeping in the same bed as him, but the one line he never crossed was forcing me to have sex with him. He was usually too drunk to even try having sex anyway. Half the time after he passed out I'd go into the guest room just so I wouldn't have to be near him when he woke up hungover and angry.

I did everything I could to avoid the brunt of his violence. I would make him breakfast everyday and kiss him before he went to work. I'd make him dinner when he got home and I'd walk on eggshells around him, always making sure I didn't say the wrong thing. Even little things like not asking if he was finished with dinner before taking his empty plate would set him off. I think he was just looking for excuses to hurt me. To control me. To make sure I knew that I couldn't leave him.

And if you asked me why I didn't leave him sooner, I wouldn't be able to answer. I couldn't understand it myself. I felt empty inside, like I didn't know anything without Matt in my life. I even began believing that I wouldn't be able to survive without him. But then I was forced into a reality check.

I never thought that the night before last would be the day that I finally left him. But then again, I never thought that I'd have to go to the extremes I had just to leave. I shouldn't be surprised though; his outbursts were unpredictable and based on how drunk he was. He wasn't above using any method of hurting me he had.

I was scared for my life that night, so I did what I had to in order to survive. I won't apologize for that or feel guilty. Everything he got he had coming.

The bus driver announced, "Attention passengers, it is 7:30 in the morning in Ellsworth, Maine and we have approximately thirty minutes until we reach our next stop, Bar Harbor. It is sixty five and sunny outside today with a high of eighty four degrees—a perfect day to visit the beach or go whale watching. We will be stopping briefly on the edge of Bar Harbor for a restroom break and to refuel, then we will get back on the road and into town to the hotel. We hope you have a great day, and welcome to the beautiful state of Maine."

I guess Bar Harbor will be my stop. A nice little coastal town sounds nice. I've only lived in Virginia my entire life, and aside from the occasional trip to the beach I haven't done much traveling.

I think the change of scenery will be nice.

My eyes burned as I blinked them open, and I rubbed the sleep from them with the heels of my hands. I stifled a yawn and pulled my hood off of my head, smoothing my hair down and tucking a strand behind my ear. My body was begging me for a full night's sleep, but my mind was racing with too much adrenaline to grant it mercy. Maybe tonight I'd get some sleep if I could find some place to stay. A hotel, a rental house, an apartment…anything would do. I had enough money to cover a hotel for at least a month, and hopefully by then I'd have a job and be able to find some other place a little more permanent to stay.

I was not going to run for the rest of my life. The best way to get away would be to disappear in a small town just like this. And I've always liked small towns, having grown up in one. It felt comforting and familiar. My parents had moved from the city to Mystic Falls before I was born because they both hated the commotion of the city. They were really involved in the town and they helped the mayor plan different events, too. I even competed in the Miss Mystic Falls beauty pageant when I was seventeen and won first place.

I doubted Bar Harbor was going to be like Mystic Falls, because my hometown was one of a kind. But I didn't mind. I welcomed the change. The last thing I wanted right now was another Mystic Falls filled with terrible memories and a painful history.

The bus came to a stop on a dirt road in front of a small shop, a pier with a couple small motorboats docked, and a few houses placed to the opposite side of the road. The ocean beyond the pier was sparkling in the morning sun and when the bus engine turned off, I could hear seagulls squawking. We filed off one by one and most went into the shop to use the restroom.

I opted to enjoy the view and relax for a minute. The crisp morning air was already warming up and I relished in the calming sound of the waves crashing into the shore. This place was going to be my home for the unforeseeable future, and I was pretty sure I was going to like it.

The salty breeze rustled my hair and I breathed it in, feeling an unfamiliar sense of peace wash over me. I was already in a better mood; now all that was left to do was to forget. I looked over my shoulder when I heard the bus start up again a few minutes later, and everyone started piling back on. I then watched the door close and the driver pull away, heading down the road and into town.

I was on my own now, and something about that was comforting. I didn't have to make decisions based on someone else anymore. I could be my own person and I would embrace that freedom.

Removing my makeshift pillowcase bag from my shirt, I walked towards the store intent on figuring out what to do next. The old wooden screen door swung open easily, ringing a little bell to alert everyone that someone entered. It was a small place, much like a gas station shop only more coastal looking with large screened windows and wooden floors and walls, that carried a limited amount of snacks, drinks, and toiletries. The floorboards creaked beneath my feet as I walked down the aisles, looking for some sort of improvised breakfast until I could find an actual restaurant. I grabbed a small bag of trail mix and a bottle of water from the refrigerated display, then walked to the counter.

I frowned slightly when I saw a little girl, no more than four, sitting in a chair behind the counter looking up at me. She smiled up at me with her mismatched baby teeth and said, "Hi, I can help you buy that."

A small grin pulled at my lips and I set down my things, "Okay. How much do I owe you?"

Her little brown pigtails bounced as she squirmed in her seat to get a better look at what I was buying. She grabbed the bag of trail mix and scanned it to the computer, then the bottle of water. I could see the total was a dollar and forty nine cents from the monitor facing me, but she said, "That will be one, four, nine."

I laughed softly and handed her two dollars. She frowned slightly at the money before opening the drawer to the register and putting it inside. I could see she was trying to figure out how to give me the change, so I leaned over and said, "I gave you two dollars, so you owe me fifty one cents. Do you know which coins make fifty one?"

She shook her head and I smiled, "I need two of the big coins in the corner." She grabbed two quarters and set them on the counter. "And I need one of the brown ones." She put a penny in the pile and as I gathered the change I asked, "So do you own this store all by yourself?"

She giggled, "No, my uncle does. But he lets me work the counter sometimes when there's not a lot of people."

"Well would you mind finding him for me? You did such a great job helping me out that I want to tell him directly how happy I am with the service." I told her, smiling at the pleased look on her face.

She nodded and hopped down from the chair, her pink skirt falling to her knees, "Okay, I'll be right back!"

She skipped over to a door off to the side and disappeared behind it. I looked around the shop and saw a map of the town framed behind the counter. I imagined that this place was a popular stop for tourists, and as I spied a rack filled with postcards and knick knacks in the corner my suspicions were confirmed. There were even some stuffed animals including whales, seagulls, and fish. T-shirts and hats with Bar Harbor written across them sat on a table as well.

The sound of the same door the little girl went behind opening diverted my attention. I stood up straight and smiled, prepared to greet whoever owned this place, but I faltered a bit when I saw the man standing before me. He looked a few years older than me with dark, raven hair that was simultaneously styled and messy. He wore a fitted black t-shirt that showcased the hard lines of his muscles, his biceps straining against the sleeves. His faded jeans fell low on his hips and I had to consciously make an effort not to stare. I wished I had looked a little better than I did, not that I'm even close to being ready to pursue anything in the same realm as the word romance.

Dark stubble dusted his strong jawline and as he got closer and closer I noticed his eyes. They were the most piercing light blue I'd ever seen on a person, and I swear they just about had me pinned in place.

He smiled and held out a hand to me, "Hi, I'm Damon Salvatore. I own this shop."

I slipped my hand into his larger one and shook his hand, "Elena Bennett. It's nice to meet you."

No, that's not my real last name. But Gilbert was on a hit list and I didn't want to be found.

He motioned to the little girl next to him by placing a hand on top of her head, "This is my niece, Mia. She said that you were very happy with her help?"

He had the slightest smirk on his mouth and I bit my lower lip to stop from smiling too widely, "Yeah, that and I wanted to ask you if you knew of any houses near here for rent."

"A house for rent?" He questioned, lifting Mia into the chair behind the counter. "So you're staying?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I think so. I like this place and I needed a change, so I'm staying."

"It's not often Bar Harbor gets a new resident, so welcome to town." He said, glancing down my body and back to my face. I cursed myself yet again for wearing the same outfit for forty eight hours straight. Changing clothes wasn't really at the top of my list of priorities.

I smiled, "Thank you."

We stood there for a moment just taking each other in, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was as attracted to me as I was to him. I doubted it. My hair desperately needed washed, my eyes were probably still slightly red from all the crying I had been doing, and my old sweatshirt and jeans weren't doing anything to accentuate my figure. Well, the jeans and sweatshirt were Bonnie's so they didn't fit me exactly right. I kind of had to change from the dress I had been wearing for Matt so I could leave without him recognizing me on any cameras. I probably looked homeless, and I guess I technically was, while he looked like a model straight out of a Calvin Klein magazine.

He abruptly interrupted the silence, "Caroline Forbes owns a restaurant called The Grill just down the road. She owns several properties that she rents out, so you could talk to her. She'd be happy to rent you one."

"Alright, thanks for the help." I told him, grabbing my things and turning to leave.

I got one foot out the door before I heard him call my name. "Elena!" I looked over my shoulder. "I'll see you around."

I smiled and nodded my head. I really hoped that was true.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The Grill came into view as soon as I turned the corner of the dirt road. I had followed Damon's directions and located it easily enough. There wasn't really much else in this part of town besides houses and greenery, so finding the restaurant was a breeze. It looked like a seaside shack that was suited to fit a hundred people. It sat on a dock suspended above the ocean with a blue tin roof. Almost the entire restaurant was open to the outside and judging from the amount of people seated it was popular.

I could smell some kind of meat grilling and it made my stomach rumble despite the trail mix I ate on the walk here. My nerves and anxiety had prevented me from eating a proper meal in days, so I'd have to make sure to do that soon. I felt more relaxed here than I had in years, and it hadn't even been an hour.

There was a window with a sign over it reading 'Take Out' where a young guy was putting carry out containers into a plastic bag. I found the door next to the window and walked inside. I had been right about the entire place being open to the ocean. The only separation that would be possible were plastic curtains that were currently rolled up. I wondered how they kept the business going in the winter when it was cold, but then I spotted a few fireplaces that weren't in use.

A young blonde woman stood at the front desk writing on a map of the restaurant with a dry erase marker. I approached her and said, "Hi, can I speak to Caroline?"

She smiled brightly at me and motioned to her name tag, "That's me. How can I help you?"

"I'm Elena, and I was told that you rent out houses and I'm interested in getting one." I told her, smiling back.

"Oh, yes! Right now I only have one house available, one bedroom and one bathroom and it's kind of a fixer upper, but it'll do in a pinch." She said. "As long as you don't mind some dust and an old beaten path through the woods to get there, it's a nice place."

I laughed a little at her description, thinking that she really didn't know how to talk a place up. Her honesty was refreshing. "That's fine, as long as the rent isn't too expensive."

Caroline untied her apron from around her waist and waved me off, "We can agree on a price once you see it, and don't worry, I won't charge you an arm and a leg. I'm not _that_ mean." She walked around from behind the counter and continued, "It's just right down the road if you don't mind walking. Assuming you're available to look now?"

"Yeah, now is fine. Lead the way." I said, falling into step beside her. She seemed like a very bubbly and exuberant person, two things that my life had been lacking lately. Her bright blonde hair, fair skin, and yellow polo with 'The Grill' written across the pocket reminded me a lot of sunshine. When my hair was blonde, I never felt like sunshine.

As we walked down the pier from where the restaurant was located to the dirt road she asked, "So if you're renting a house are you moving to town or visiting for the summer?"

"Moving. I just got into town this morning and decided to stay." I explained lightly.

"So you just decided to move here? Wow, I wish I was as easy going as that. I'm one of those people that likes to plan everything, down to the very last detail. I could never be spontaneous like that, it would just stress me out. Then if I was stressed out, I'd probably go shopping and blow all my money and soon enough I'd be like, homeless with only my new clothes to console me." She rambled animatedly, waving her hands in the air.

I grinned, "Maybe you could build a house out of all your new clothes? Once you wear them once, they go into building a roof."

She laughed, "Yes! I would the most stylish hobo ever! I'd probably have to prostitute myself in order to afford a meal, but hey, at least I'd look hot doing it!"

A laugh bubbled up before I could stop it, and we were both giggling at the thought. When we both calmed down I said, "But really, I like this town and decided that it would suit me well."

"So where did you hear that I rent houses if you just got to town?" She asked curiously. "I mean, I post fliers around here with my number on it but I haven't put any up lately because it's summer now and all of my properties have been rented out for the season."

I motioned towards the direction Damon's store was in, "Oh, um, I talked to a guy named Damon at a store when I first got here. He told me about you."

She clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, "So I see you've met Damon."

I raised a brow, "You know him?"

She looked at me pointedly, "This is Bar Harbor. Everyone knows everyone. But Damon…well, he's a special breed of man."

I furrowed my brows, "What do you mean?"

Caroline snorted, "He's freaking gorgeous, that's what I mean! He's slept with just about every girl this town has to offer, and when he got bored with them he resorted to tourists."

"Really?" I frowned, feeling slightly disappointed. It was such an unwarranted feeling, for more reasons than I could count.

She shrugged, "Yeah, he's your typical wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am kind of guy. Or at least he was."

"But he's not anymore?" I questioned, hoping I didn't sound too curious.

Caroline didn't seem fazed in the slightest. "Well, he still is, just not as badly. Ever since he took in the kids he's slowed down quite a bit. They are just about the cutest little things I've ever seen and Damon scored some serious brownie points in my book for taking care of them."

We turned down another dirt road that veered into the woods as I asked, "You mean the little girl that I met in the store?"

"Brown hair and loves the color pink?" Caroline asked. I smiled a bit and nodded. "Yeah, that's Mia. She's four. His nephew Alex is seven."

"Why is he taking care of them?"

Caroline frowned and the expression really didn't fit her bright features, "His brother, their dad, joined the military a few years back and wasn't able to take care of them. Their mother…well, nobody really knows what happened to her, but she isn't in the picture. Damon and his mom take turns caring for them."

That's really…sweet of him. I'm sure a guy in his twenties who was sleeping his way through the population of Maine had better things to do than take care of some kids that weren't even his, but he did it anyways. Even the way I watched him interact with Mia showed that he was great with them and loved having them.

Something stirred inside of me at the thought, warming up my insides. I've always wanted kids, but those dreams had been put on hold when Matt started drinking. Now, I was glad that we never had kids. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if I had to run away with a child in tow…

Needing to change the subject to distract myself, I asked, "So what about you? Boyfriend? Husband? Kids?"

Her eyes widened and she laughed, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up there. I'm only 24!

I smirked, "So that means you're single as a pringle?"

She burst out in a loud laugh, the sound reverberating through the woods around us. I could already see a house coming up and I was glad that the walk wasn't too far away from the main road. Since I didn't have a car I hoped that I'd be able to walk to whatever place I get a job at.

"Single as a pringle!?" Caroline giggled, wiping away a tear. "That's a new one, but yes, I'm single."

I smiled, "Good. My hometown was one of those places where if you're older than twenty one and single you're considered a spinster, so it's nice to be somewhere normal."

She chuckled, "Yeah, this place is definitely not like that. Here, you're not a spinster until you're twenty two."

I rolled my eyes and she laughed as we climbed the steps to the front porch. Caroline pulled out a set of keys from her khaki shorts and unlocked the old door. The house from the outside looked worn and weathered, but it would be more than enough for now. It had a nice porch with a couple chairs and there was enough privacy that I wouldn't have to worry about prying neighbors.

Caroline pushed the door open and I followed her inside. She waved her hand to clear the dust from the air, coughing a little. "Sorry about the mess, I haven't gotten around to spring cleaning in here yet."

Spring cleaning? It was early May. I think she missed that deadline by a month or two. But as I looked around, I realized that maybe she meant she hasn't gotten around to spring cleaning in five years.

"It's fine, Caroline. I don't mind cleaning." I told her. The kitchen was to the left with dated appliances and shabby white cabinets with a small wooden table sitting just outside the space. A newer looking couch sat against the wooden wall with a worn coffee table and a floor lamp in the corner. An old TV sat on a stand that I doubted worked, but it was worth a try. I probably wouldn't be spending much time indoors anyways.

Caroline led me to a door next to the kitchen and opened it, showing me a dated bathroom with a bathtub shower combo that looked fresh and clean. It had a washer and dryer in it too, which I was happy about since it meant I wouldn't have to find a Laundromat. The bedroom was small just like the rest of the house and Caroline told me that the mattress hadn't been used yet since she bought it a few years ago when the last tenants moved out. She then said that there were sheets and bedding in the closet along with cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. The more we walked around the more I realized that all this house really needed was a good cleaning to be livable.

We walked back into the main room and Caroline said, "Well, this is it. Feel free to do with it whatever you like, including painting or moving furniture. I know this place is small and older so how does $200 per month sound?"

"That's perfect. I'll take it." I told her with a grateful smile.

She grinned cheerfully and made a small squeal of excitement, "Great!" She handed me the key and said, "Here you go! And by the way, if you're looking for a job I'd be happy to hire you at The Grill. You seem like a really nice person and we could use the help now that it's tourist season."

"Um, actually that would be amazing." I said, a bit bewildered. "You don't need an application or anything?"

She shrugged, "Have you ever worked at a restaurant?"

"I worked as a waitress for a year in high school." I offered.

"Good enough for me!" She beamed. "You can start tomorrow morning at seven."

She made to leave and I smiled, "Thank you so much, Caroline. I really appreciate everything you've helped me with."

She smiled sweetly, "No problem, Elena. I'll see you tomorrow to show you the ropes."

I waved as she bounced down the stairs and disappeared down the path.

First things first, I needed to clean this place up. I looked under the sink in the kitchen and found a half full bottle of bleach in a bucket with some rubber gloves and a scrub brush. I emptied the bucket and put it under the faucet, but when I turned the knob to turn the water on nothing came out and it made a strange noise. I huffed and twisted it off before going into the bathroom and using the bathtub. I guess I'd have to get that fixed soon.

I spent the next few hours cleaning the house from top to bottom. It was a welcome distraction from life, and by the time I was finished it felt much more homey. I had wiped down the furniture and tested the TV and lights, all of which surprisingly worked. I even cleaned the floors and washed the sheets for good measure before making the bed.

It was already nine at night by the time I finished cleaning, took a shower, and ordered some food from The Grill with the old landline phone and phonebook and this house really wasn't looking too bad anymore. It had hot water, a working fridge and stove, and a comfortable bed. I couldn't really ask for more.

When I was cleaned up and ready for bed with a full stomach, I emptied my pillow case onto the bed to see exactly what all Bonnie had packed me aside from the few clothes and soaps I'd already been through. I didn't really have a chance to look before, but she assured me that it was just the things I'd need.

I found two pairs of jean shorts; the pair with white lace around the edges I recognized as the ones Bonnie stole from me in college. I smiled at the memory and put them in a drawer. I put away the four different shirts as well, then I moved the toothbrush and travel sized shampoo and conditioner to the bathroom along with the curling iron Bonnie packed. I have no idea why she felt that was an essential, but I was kind of glad to have it. It kind of made me feel like I didn't just uproot myself from everything I've ever known so abruptly. Like I had been planning to leave, and I packed a curling iron on purpose.

I found a picture of me and Bonnie from our college graduation and I smiled before setting it on the nightstand. I missed those days more than anything, when I didn't have a care in the world other than passing my classes. I finished putting away the last of the things including bras, underwear, a pair of flip flops, and deodorant, then I crawled into bed. The mattress seemed to envelop me in its softness and the sheets wrapped around me, surrounding me in whatever scent the detergent was. It was different from what I was used to, but at this point, different was good. Different was exactly what I needed to move on.

As I drifted to sleep, I prayed that I wouldn't be haunted by the nightmares that were once my reality.


	3. Chapter 3

Since there's been some interest in this story, I've decided to upload a couple chapters today. One reviewer had several questions, and most will be answered in time in the story. As for Elena's education and getting an awesome job right of college, consider it luck lol.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

I brushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear that had fallen from my ponytail as I untied the apron from my waist and placed it behind the counter of The Grill. My first day at work was finally over, so tomorrow I would be able to actually start serving tables.

I had been a waitress before so I quickly picked up on all of the tricks to it that Caroline showed me, and she introduced me to everyone else that works there. They all seemed nice and welcoming, much like Caroline. I had yet to meet someone here that wasn't. I felt really comfortable here and I dearly hoped that the feeling would last. I think it's about time that life gives me a break and I find some sort of happiness.

Caroline also had me memorize the menu and she showed me how to ring the bell when an order's in. It all seemed easy enough, and she told me I was a natural. It was nice to have a steady income now too so I could afford to buy food and pay rent. I got a discount on the meals at The Grill and since I never really liked cooking, that's probably where I'll be getting most of my meals. It felt like I was really finding my place in this town, even though it had only been a day.

Liam, a guy that I worked with, saw that I was leaving and as he passed by with a tray of food said, "It was nice to meet you, Elena. Have a great day!"

I smiled at him, "You too!"

Something about this place just…fit. Or maybe it wasn't this place, but rather the fact that it was lacking a certain someone. I'm sure that I'd be happier in any place that he wasn't.

But as I began walking toward the store I had stopped in yesterday, a small part of me kept telling me that I was happy here because of Damon. I didn't even know him, and I wasn't stupid enough to think anything more of my attraction to him, but it was undeniable that I was excited to see him. After everything Caroline told me about him and just the fact that he's so attractive, how could I not want to see him again? I may have even been looking for an excuse to go to his store so I could see him again.

At least I hoped that he was going to be there today. I looked way better today than I had yesterday. Caroline gave me a pair of khaki shorts like hers and a light blue and a white polo shirt with The Grill's logo on it this morning and had me change in the bathroom. I was wearing the blue one now with the shorts along with my tennis shoes. I had gotten a full night's sleep last night as well, surprisingly enough, so the dark circles under my eyes had faded away and my skin regained some of its color.

As a last minute thought I pulled my hair out of the ponytail and let the loose, wavy curls fall around my shoulders. I ran my hands through them and let the warm, light breeze do the rest of the work. My chocolate hair shined in the sunlight and I absentmindedly twirled a lock around my fingers. I liked seeing myself a brunette again. I felt more like me.

As I got closer and closer to the shop I spotted a young boy out on the pier fishing, and I wondered if he was the other kid that Caroline mentioned. I walked inside and my heart leapt to my throat when I saw Damon. He was sitting behind the counter with Mia on his lap while she colored a picture. He was filling in a part of the princess's dress purple while Mia scribbled with pink around the edges.

They both looked up at the sound of the door opening and Damon smiled at me, "Hey."

Mia continued to diligently color as I returned, "Hey yourself."

I walked over to the counter and he asked, "Did you find a place to stay?"

"Yeah, Caroline gave me a place in the woods." I told him. "I was just stopping by to get some bottled water and maybe some advice on a local grocery store."

The shop was small enough that as I walked over to the back to get a case of water I could still see him and hear him say, "That small little cabin, right?"

As I carried the case to the counter I nodded, "That's the one. It needs some work, but once it's fixed up I think I'll really like it."

"Yeah, it's a great place. Nobody's lived there for a few years so it's nice to see it getting some use." He said as he stood up and repositioned Mia so he could ring up the water.

I paid him and asked, "By the way, do you know of anyone that can help fix the kitchen sink? I can't get it to work for the life of me and I don't know a thing about plumbing."

He smiled amusedly, "I can take a look at it if you want. I know enough about plumbing that I should be able to get it working."

I quickly objected, "Oh, you don't have to…I can call a plumber, I wouldn't want to take up too much of your time."

He made a face and scoffed, "Don't worry about it, I'd be happy to help. And there's no telling how long it could take to get a plumber out there anyway."

I opened my mouth to protest again, but he cocked a brow, daring me to argue. I bit my lower lip to hide my grin and sighed, "That would be great."

He put his hand on Mia's head to get her attention and said, "Mia, Grandma's in back if you need anything and I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay." She said easily, barely giving him a second glance. He rolled his eyes and kissed the top of her head before reaching under the counter and grabbing a toolbox. He followed me outside and saw me struggling to carry the water.

"I'll trade you." He said, taking the heavy water from me and handing me the light toolbox.

I laughed a little, "Thanks. I know that these days are all about girl power, but the gym so isn't my thing."

He smirked, "Well if all women went out and got strong enough to carry the heavy things, what would they need men for?"

 _Oh, I could think of a few things…_

"Smart and pretty? Well aren't you just the whole package?" I teased.

He flared his eyes at me, "So you admit that I'm attractive?"

I giggled, "Uh—I said pretty."

"Is there a difference?" He asked knowingly.

I felt my cheeks heating up as I dropped my gaze and said, "Well, would you rather be called attractive or pretty? Because from where I'm standing, pretty is what a girl calls a guy when she's drunk and can't think of a better word."

He smirked, "And when is it attractive? When a girl is sober and telling her friends about me?"

"No, I think the word they'd use there is cocky," I quipped, quickly getting a feel for his personality.

"Cocky, but sexy as hell." He amended, sending me a wink.

My cheeks felt like they were on fire as I laughed at the easy going banter. I relented, "Fine, I'll admit you're above average but I wouldn't go so far as to start talking about you to my friends."

"I'm hurt!" He gasped in feigned shock.

I rolled my eyes and laughed, "Sure you are."

He dropped the mock betrayal and smiled widely at me, one of those smiles that makes your heart speed up and your body hum with pride that you're the cause of it. The butterflies in my stomach swirled to life, surprising me by even being there in the first place. It's just because he's so attractive, that's all. The feeling will pass in a few days and everything will be fine.

"So where did you live before moving here?" He asked, trying to make conversation.

"Um…" I hesitated, debating whether or not to tell him the truth. I felt like it was unlikely he'd ever find out why I ran from Mystic Falls, so I said, "A small town in Virginia. Like I said before, I was eager for a change in scenery."

He raised a brow, "What about your friends and boyfriend back there?"

My mind froze and a feeling of panic began in my chest, hastily tightening and squeezing around my lungs. No, he can't know, he's just making small talk, right? I felt lightheaded and dizzy so I closed my eyes for a moment and forced myself to calm down. He has no idea who I am. He's probably just digging for information like anyone else would do to the new person in town.

I prayed that my voice wouldn't break as I said, "I, uh—my best friend understood and I don't have a boyfriend."

I swallowed thickly, thanking any deity up there that I pulled it off without having a breakdown. Damon was looking at me with slightly furrowed brows, and I'm not really sure how I physically looked during that mini panic attack, but I'm guessing he knew something was up.

I sucked in a breath and smiled tightly, "I've always loved the ocean and what better place than here?"

He frowned briefly before saying, "Yeah, we're certainly right on the water here. You don't grow up in Bar Harbor without learning how to swim."

"I haven't been in the ocean in years." I mused. "It has to have been seven years at least since I went to Myrtle Beach with my parents."

"Remind me to take you down to the beach sometime." He said. "It's especially beautiful at sunset."

"I bet." I told him, smiling softly.

We walked up the front porch to my house and I unlocked the door, walking inside. "You can just set the water on the table." I told him, moving into the kitchen to set down the toolbox on the counter. I flipped on the light so he could see better and twisted the knob on the faucet, saying, "See, when I turn it on it makes that horrifying noise and no water comes out."

He chuckled, "Alright, I'll take a look at the scary monster drain."

I rolled my eyes and moved to let him get under the sink. As I stood there watching him, I took a moment to admire the taut muscles in his back visible through his gray t-shirt. The delicious bulges rippled as he bent over and reached for the pipes, and suddenly I understood the sexy plumber fantasy. Well, I think it was just that Damon could make any fantasy sexy. I bit my lower lip to hold back a moan when he reached even further into the cabinet and his shirt pulled up, exposing the smooth, muscled skin of his lower back.

I was so absorbed in watching him that I nearly missed it when he said, "Can you hand me the toolbox?"

Before he caught me staring I snapped out of it and grabbed the box, handing it to him. When he took the handle from me our fingers brushed and my skin burned from the contact. I licked my dry lips and said, "Here you go."

"Thanks." He smiled, setting it down and flipping open the hatches. "I think the last person under here closed the valve that allows water to flow so the pipes wouldn't get clogged while the house wasn't in use. It should be an easy fix."

Is he really not affected like I am? Or maybe he's just better at hiding it? Or maybe I'm just being crazy about my attraction to him…

He reached under the sink again re-exposing his lower back.

Nope. Definitely not crazy.

"So how did you learn to do this?" I asked, trying to make conversation. Hopefully it would distract me from his sexiness.

He came back out from under the sink and sat on his knees, "Well, when you grow up with a mom that's clueless about this kind of stuff and a brother who spent more time getting ready in the bathroom than our mom, you kind of have to learn how to do it."

I blew out a laugh, "Then I know who to call the next time something breaks in here."

"Maybe I'll have to start charging you." He teased, flaring his eyes. "And if you can't afford my rate, then I'm sure I can find another way for you to pay me." He waggled his brows suggestively. I've come to realize he's all about the innuendos.

I narrowed my eyes, "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." He challenged. I watched with an amused smile as he stood up and turned on the faucet. Water came pouring out and he smirked at me. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

"You're so full of yourself."

"Rightly so, too." He quipped.

I hopped up onto the counter and said, "Thank you for fixing it. You didn't have to come all the way over here for me."

He waved me off, "No problem. And this place looks a lot better than it did the last time I was in here, by the way."

I looked around the small house and smiled a little, "I spent all of yesterday cleaning it, so I'd hope so. I used quite a bit of bleach on this kitchen to scrub everything clean, too."

He chuckled, "I can smell it, but if you open up the windows I'm sure it'll air out."

"I would, but the windows don't really open. I tried to last night when the smell was really strong but they were all stuck." I said.

He raised a brow, "Are you sure you unlocked them?"

I gave him a pointed look, "I'm not an idiot, Damon. I think they've just been closed so long that they're rusted shut or something."

He walked over to the window next to the door and unlatched the top. I smirked as he struggled to lift it up, then suddenly it flew open and the glass broke with it, falling to the floor and shattering. I clapped a hand over my mouth as I giggled, clutching my stomach with the other.

Damon turned to look at me and laughed a little, "Well, it's open."

Still laughing hysterically, I jumped off the counter and walked over to inspect the damage. He slid the window back down since there was no point in leaving it open anymore and we both looked at the gaping hole. There was still some glass in the frame, but a large section was now at our feet.

"You know, the next time I need a Mr. Fix-it I think I'm going to call a professional." I said, fighting another laugh.

He ran a hand through his hair and said, "I'll pay for that to be replaced. I'm sure Caroline would kill me if I didn't."

I frowned, tilting my head as I looked at the hole, "Don't bother. This house isn't that great to start with and it's only for a little while until I can afford something better."

"The bugs are going to get in if you don't fix it." He pointed out.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a plastic bag and a roll of duct tape that had been in a drawer. I went back to the window and taped the bag over the hole, making sure to cover all the gaps.

"There. Problem solved."

"And the glass on the floor?" He questioned, kicking one of the shards into the pile.

I frowned, "I don't have a broom or dustpan, but I have a mop?"

He chuckled, "You really didn't do much housework before you moved here, did you?"

I just shrugged in response, his question reminding me of all the housework I actually did do. I cleaned the house everyday so Matt wouldn't get mad that there was dust or dirt anywhere. I cleaned religiously, because that was one of the most common reasons he got upset.

Damon turned towards the kitchen and grabbed one of the three chairs from the table, carrying it over to the window. He placed it right on top of the glass, "There. Now you won't step on any glass until you can clean it up."

"Perfect." I told him. "Caroline said that I could paint in here too, so I was thinking of maybe doing a bright color to bring some life into the house."

"If you need paint, I can place an order for you." He offered.

I furrowed my brows, "Your little shop sells paint?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, "Ah, well, not exactly, but it's no problem if you want paint. I have color swatches back at the shop so if you're interested just stop by."

A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth seeing him go out of his way just to get me paint. "Okay, I will." I said softly. "By the way, you never did tell me where I can get some groceries. I'm kind of living off of Caroline's food at The Grill."

He pointed at my shirt, "Yeah, I noticed. Do you work there now?"

"As of today." I confirmed. It felt a bit odd to be back to working as a waitress when my last job was working for a major business as a marketing consultant. I guess that once I get more settled here I could look for a job that would put my college degree to good use.

He gave me a lopsided smile as he said, "I know I give Caroline a lot of shit for being the over optimistic bucket of sunshine she is, but she's a good person."

I laughed through my nose, "I think she'll make a good boss and friend. I like how positive and happy she seems."

"You certainly have to be prepared to have a conversation with her." He mused more to himself than me. I quickly learned how much she rambled and talked just to hear her own voice. She was fun though, and bright. I knew that we'd become good friends.

Damon added, "Oh, and to answer your question about groceries, there's a store in town you can go to just down the street. There's a huge sign with a blue fish on it outside, you can't miss it. You can pretty much find anything you'd need in town, including furniture, clothes, and house supplies."

He grabbed his toolbox from the kitchen as I said, "Okay, sounds good. Thanks again for the help."

"It was my pleasure." He smiled thoughtfully as he looked at me. It was a look that I had never seen before on him, or anyone, really, especially not directed towards me. That look on his face was reserved for someone that wasn't as messed up as me.

I brushed it off and as I walked him to the door I said, "I'll see you later."

"Yeah." He confirmed. "Real soon."

I watched him walk away until I could no longer see his figure walking through the trees. I couldn't help but wonder what I had gotten myself into.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Mystic Falls_

Matt slowly made his way into his office at the police station, ignoring the looks he was getting from the other officers. His head hurt and he was in desperate need of a drink. He closed the door behind him and drew the blinds shut so nobody could see inside. He hadn't had a moment alone to process his thoughts in days.

First it was the doctors and nurses in the hospital. Then it was his coworkers and friends stopping by to see him. He managed to avoid giving a police report on what happened by lying. He told everyone that it was an accident. He put himself in the hospital.

Everyone laughed it off as he told them how stupid it was of him. He promised he'd be out in a few days and back in the office. By then the wound in his stomach would have healed enough to walk properly.

He walked over to his desk and sat down in the comfortable office chair, grabbing the bottle on his desk filled with water. Or at least that's what it would look like to anyone that came in. He scowled and unscrewed the cap, swallowing three large gulps of the strong vodka before setting it back down.

Now that he was back in his office and out of the hospital, he had one goal.

Find Elena.

She couldn't hide from him forever, and he'd be damned if she got away from this easily. By the time he was finished with her, she'd be begging him to bring her home and take care of her again. He couldn't let anyone know what really happened that night because then they'd take her away. They'd send her to jail.

Maybe he wanted her to go to prison. He'd always know where she was that way, and she'd only get a few years. Then when she got out they could be together and she would have learned her lesson. Maybe he wouldn't have to punish her for constantly undermining him anymore.

They could start the life he always wanted together. They'd be happy together. Just like in the movies. He'd never leave her, and he'd never be alone. After his mom left when he was in high school, he was devastated. Then his drug addict sister left a year later, and he was just alone. Elena saved him. Now he had to save her. He couldn't let her be out there all scared and alone, thinking that he hated her.

He wasn't exactly happy with her, but he could never hate her. She got on his nerves like no other with her incessant mistakes, but he was in the process of training her to be the perfect housewife. She would be happy too when she finally learned her place and stopped trying to be something she wasn't.

He licked his dry lips and took another drink from the bottle before turning his gaze to his computer. Now he had to find her, wherever she was. He had confided in his boss while he was in the hospital that it was Elena who put him in there. They had a disagreement and she accidentally hurt him.

Sergeant Jones was surprised to hear that, and Matt expressed his worry that Elena thought he was mad. She hadn't come to visit him yet so he gave Jones his key to their house to see if she was there.

She wasn't.

That's when Matt realized she ran, and that maybe that was a smart thing to do on her part. He was livid when he realized what she did. It went against everything he taught her and trained her to do. She betrayed his love for her and his desire for her to be the best version of herself she could be.

The entire time they had been dating, he always made sure she looked and felt her best. He bought her the most expensive clothes and had her dye her hair from a boring brown to a fun blonde. She never once complained, and he never had a reason to suspect that she wasn't happy.

But he saw the fear in her eyes and heard it in her voice that night. It just pissed him off even more. She had no reason to be afraid of him. He was helping her. He was teaching her how to please him so they'd always be happy. He gave her everything she wanted, and this was how she repaid him?

With a new pit of burning rage in his chest, he ground his teeth and pulled up her credit card account on the computer. There hadn't been any activity in days. He had never been happier to be a cop than in that moment, because now he had just about any connection necessary to track her down. He would find her eventually; there was no place she could hide forever.

He picked up his phone and dialed the extension for one of the officers and waited until it connected. The man answered and Matt said, "I need you to contact the airport, bus stations, and taxi services, basically any method of transportation and ask them for the videos from their surveillance cameras over the past few days."

He replied, "What should I tell them I need it for?"

Matt snapped, "Tell them it's none of their damn business."

There was a moment of silence before the officer said, "What case is this for? I thought you were still on field duty."

Matt didn't like the fact that he had to explain himself to some newbie cop at the bottom of the payroll. He didn't owe an explanation of anything to anyone, let alone someone that was nothing more than a bug beneath his shoe.

"How about you stop asking so many questions before they get you into trouble." Matt said slowly, lacing the threat into his voice.

"Yes sir." The man returned obediently right before hanging up.

Why was it so hard for people to listen to him? Was he the only intelligent person that existed on this earth? First, it was Elena that had to be taught a lesson or two. Now his subordinates suddenly thought that they could do whatever the fuck they wanted?

He chugged the rest of the vodka from his water bottle and angrily threw it into the trashcan. He needed Elena back home so he could take out his anger on her. Maybe then she wouldn't try running away and putting him in this situation in the first place. He loved her, and he needed her. She kept him together when he was falling apart. She was there for him when everyone else left. She was the only one he could depend on, and she wasn't there.

If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that he'd find Elena eventually. She'd get what's coming to her. She owed him for doing this to him. And she'd pay dearly for it.

* * *

"Hey Elena!"

I turned my head to the source of the voice and saw Caroline jogging to catch up to me. I frowned, wondering where she came from. I had the day off of work today since Caroline was still trying to fit me into the schedule, and I had assumed that she would be working. But I was just leaving my house to go into town where Damon directed me and pick up some things that I needed from the store.

"Hey, Care. Where'd you come from?"

I was still walking down the path to my house out to the road, and she was running from the direction of my house. She caught up to me and a bit breathlessly answered, "Oh, I didn't tell you? I live right down there."

She pointed towards where the road veered off in two directions. My house was down the path to the right, and she was motioning towards the left. Huh. I'm almost surprised she hasn't blabbed on about how we're neighbors yet.

"Really? I expected you to live in town where there's a ton of people and places to shop." I told her with a smile.

She rolled her eyes, "Well I totally would—I'd love an apartment above a cute little coffee shop, but I haven't been able to find one that's in my price range yet. I live with my mom back there."

I crossed my arms as we walked and curiously asked, "So what all do you do? You own The Grill and houses for rent, but is that it?"

She shrugged, her blonde curls bouncing with her shoulders, "Well, I inherited all of those things from my dad when he passed away, so I figured that I'd take over for him. But my dream is to be a fashion designer. I love clothes, in case you haven't noticed, but there aren't many opportunities to pursue those dreams in a small town like this."

I frowned, "You could open up a small boutique and see how that goes? You already know how to run a business and from what I've seen, your style is amazing."

I looked at her current outfit of a flowery sundress and wedges. I might have to recruit her to help me get some new clothes.

"Thanks, but I don't know…I've never been to school for fashion design or anything and I'm not so sure how well I'd do in a small town like this." She said, a bit disappointed. It was almost strange seeing someone so full of life like her looking so down.

I nudged her side with my elbow, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I know I'd shop there, and think of how many tourists you'd get in the store. I don't know about you, but when I'm on vacation I love going shopping."

A light laugh fell from her mouth, "Fine! You convinced me! Besides, who doesn't love shopping? And my clothes would be amazing!"

I giggled and asked, "So where are you headed if you're not working?"

She huffed, "Actually, I was just going to check on another tenant of mine. They're complaining that the air conditioning isn't working, so I had to call in someone to fix it and I want to be there to make sure they don't screw up the whole thing."

I grimaced, "Sounds like torture."

"Of the worst kind." She agreed. "Where are you going?"

"Well I kind of need to go get some groceries and pick up some other essentials in town since I just moved here and I don't really have that many things. This whole move was kind of last minute so I packed what I could." I explained loosely.

She smirked, "Well have fun with that. At least this air conditioning guy might be cute."

I raised a brow, "How do you know I won't have a cute cashier?"

She snorted, "Because the only men that work at the grocery store are sixteen and pimply or sixty and wrinkly."

I lightly shoved her shoulder as we reached the end of the road and she waved goodbye as we split in different directions. I smiled to myself at the thought that I was really fitting in here. I had a friend in Caroline and Damon, and a decent job. I had a house, in a quiet town where the people were kind and easy going. What more could I ask for?

The walk into town didn't take long, and as much as I wanted to stick around and look at all of the shops and sights, I wanted to get home and put all of my groceries away so I could go visit Damon. Well, I had an ulterior motive for seeing him besides the teensy weensy crush my body might have on him. I decided to take him up on his offer and buy some paint for my house. It needs it, and if it gives me a reason to see Damon then do I need anymore convincing?

Once I bought all of the food and supplies I needed, I was carrying several bags filled to the top about a mile back to my house. As soon as I could afford it, I would be getting a car. Or at least something to get me and heavy things around more easily.

After I dropped everything off at home and put it all away, I made my way over to Damon's store. I hoped he'd be there today, but from what I've seen he's always there.

I walked inside the store with my heart set on finding Damon, but instead I found Mia sitting behind the counter again and a boy sitting next to her, playing a handheld videogame. They both looked up and Mia smiled a toothy grin while the boy seemed indifferent, resuming his game. He looked a few years older than Mia, and I remembered Caroline told me he was seven. He had sandy blonde hair with tan skin and green eyes that matched Mia's, so it was easy to deduce that they were related.

Mia stopped coloring and said, "Hi!"

I smiled and walked up to the counter, "Hi, Mia. What are you coloring?"

"A flower." She said simply, coloring the middle of it yellow. "Alex says flowers are boring."

The boy next to her put his game down and turned it off, "That's 'cause they are. Dinosaurs are way cooler."

"Are not!" She argued. "There aren't any pink dinosaurs, but there are pink flowers."

He rolled his eyes as I laughed, "So you're Alex. I'm Elena. I just moved to town a few days ago."

He held out his small hand to me, "It's nice to meet you."

His grin was crooked with a few missing teeth and the sight made me smile even wider as I shook his hand, "Nice to meet you too." He grabbed a piece of blank paper from Mia and I watched as he found a green marker and began showing her how to draw a dinosaur.

"See, you have to draw the tail and the teeth like this." He said, pointing to the sharp points in its mouth.

Mia scrunched up her face adorably, "That looks scary! I want a cute dinosaur!"

"Well dinosaurs aren't cute! They're mean and they eat other animals!" He argued.

"Then I don't like them!" She huffed, crossing her arms to glare at him.

I laughed, "Hey, I don't suppose either of you want to help me pick out a color to paint my house? Well, actually my floor."

They both looked at me with varying degrees of surprise and amusement. Alex laughed, "You're painting the floor?"

I chuckled, "Yeah, why not? I think a nice bright color would be fun and make my house look brighter, don't you think?"

Mia giggled, "But what about the walls?"

I shrugged, "They can stay boring as long as the floor is fun."

Alex hopped off the counter to look in a drawer behind it, saying, "Okay, let me find the color thingy so we can pick out a color."

A moment later he set down a ton of paper swatches organized in order of color all connected by a plastic ring. I fanned out the colors and leaned over the counter, "Hm…what color is bright and fun?"

"Pink!" Mia shouted.

"Pink!?" Alex scoffed. "Her house will look like a cupcake, and you're the only one that likes that!"

She pouted, "Fine."

I smiled, "I like pink, Mia, but I think a different color would be better because if I move out and a guy wants to buy the house, he's not going to want a pink floor."

Her frown turned neutral as she got over it and Alex suggested, "What about yellow? Yellow is a bright color."

Mia wrinkled her nose, "Not yellow! The sun is yellow and if you had the sun in your house it would be really hot!"

Alex rolled his eyes and I laughed at her reasoning. She then grabbed the color swatches and pointed to a bright sea foam green/turquoise color. "I like this one!"

"Yeah, me too!" Alex said, pulling the colors closer so he could see them.

"Alright, then 'aqua waters' it is." I said, just as the door across the room opened and Damon came walking out.

He smiled when he saw me and asked, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

I stood up straight and handed him the swatch, "We decided on 'aqua waters' for my house."

Mia added, "She's painting the floor!"

He raised an amused brow, "The floor?"

Alex laughed, "Yeah! You don't paint the floor, you paint the walls!"

He chuckled and turned to me, flashing me that half smile that makes my insides liquefy, "I'll make sure to place the order, then."

I unconsciously licked my lips before smiling at him, and his eyes followed the movement. My heart rate picked up as he watched me, studying me, and it surprisingly didn't make me feel self conscious in the slightest. It made me feel…good. Wanted, maybe. I haven't felt wanted by a man in a long time, but that doesn't mean that I'm just going to fall into bed with Damon. I can't. Everything's still so…raw. And Caroline told me that he was one of those one night stand guys, and I'm definitely not that girl.

Mia's sweet voice interrupted our eye sex, "Elena, do you want to color with me?"

We both abruptly looked away from each other and Damon said, "Mia, I'm sure Elena's busy."

I frowned, "No, it's fine. I have the day off today."

Mia handed me a blue marker and said, "You can color the water, while I color the boat."

I bit back a laugh as she began attempting to draw a boat. It turned out more like a red blob in the middle of the paper. As I made the waves with the marker, I stole a glance at Damon from the corner of my eye. He was watching us with his arms crossed over his muscular chest and a smile on his face. It made my smile grow as I listened to Mia give me more instructions for the picture.

The same door that Damon came out of suddenly opened, and a woman that was the spitting image of Damon walked out. She had shoulder length black hair matching his with fair skin, and the same exact blue eyes. She was struggling to carry a box of books and said, "Damon Michael would you help your mother out once in a while?"

He rolled his eyes and groaned as he took the box from her, "You see, Elena? I told you the only thing us men are good for is carrying heavy stuff!"

I giggled and his mom put her hands on her hips, giving him a slight glare. "Go take that box and put the books on the shelves." She instructed him before turning to me and smiling warmly, "Hi, Elena was it? I'm Lily, Damon's mom."

I shook her hand when she held it out and I said, "Nice to meet you. I just moved to town."

"Damon mentioned someone new." She said, giving Damon a knowing look that I couldn't dissect. "Said a beautiful woman moved to town and needed help fixing her sink." She winked at me and my eyes widened. Did she think that…that I was just looking for an excuse to see Damon or something? Or that fixing my sink meant…oh god, I could feel my face heating up already!

"Mom!" Damon yelled, clearly both annoyed and embarrassed. "I told you the sink was broken, and I fixed it!"

She held up her hands and defended, "I never said you didn't!"

He rolled his eyes and grumbled, "You sure said something, though."

She gave me a pointed look and said, "Always so sensitive."

"Mom!" He yelled again, and this time I couldn't help but laugh.

She huffed, "Oh, would you relax? It's not got good for your blood pressure!"

"I don't have a blood pressure problem, Mom…" He mumbled to himself, resuming putting away the books. I guess he had given up on arguing anymore.

Mia chimed in, "Grandma, look at the picture we made!" She held up the finished picture, complete with birds in the sky and a big yellow sun.

Lily smiled and took it from her, "It's gorgeous, Mia, in fact…" She walked around the counter to the bulletin board and found a pin, "I'm going to hang it up right here."

Mia beamed with excitement as Alex scoffed, "My dinosaur's better. See?"

Damon had finished unpacking the books and he came to stand next to me, watching the scene play out. Lily said, "I think they're both great. We'll hang yours right up next to Mia's."

Damon's warm breath tickling my ear as he whispered sent shivers down my spine, "Sorry about my mom. She can be a little…bold."

I smiled and turned to face him, not nearly prepared enough for how close he was. All it would take is a few inches and our noses would be touching. I sucked in breath and whispered back, "Isn't the point of having a mom for her to embarrass you?"

He chuckled lowly, and the deep sexy sound caused something to ignite inside of me, "You don't know the half of it."

"You'll have to tell me some of the stories sometime." I said, earning a grin. "I must warn you, I've got some real killer embarrassing parent moments though."

"Worse than yelling about nonexistent blood pressure problems?" He quipped.

I blew out a laugh, "Imagine being a freshman in high school, and a boy calls your house, asking to talk to you. Your mom answers the phone, hears that it's a teenage boy, then tells him that you're not ready to start dating boys, then hangs up, so she and your dad can sit you down and lecture you about sex for two hours."

He grimaced, "Damn. I think you win."

"Oh, but I didn't get to the best part!" I said, barely containing my laugh. "My dad was a doctor, so I wasn't even spared the cheesy alternate words to everything dirty. It was all clinical and proper, and so very disturbing to a fourteen year old girl."

He snorted, "Nice. I'm guessing the kid never called back, huh?"

I shrugged, "He got a little making out the next day in school. It's the least I could do after what happened."

He shook his head, "Thank god I never got the sex talk. By the time Mom realized I was having sex, I was already 17. I got a stern warning not to screw up and that was that."

I glanced over to his mom and the kids to see that she was watching them both draw while clearly keeping an eye on us. She couldn't hear what we were saying, but she didn't need to to see something she liked.

"Your mom seems really nice." I told him. She definitely wasn't as subtle as my mom was.

"I think she likes you too." He said, the corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

And I think I really liked it here. Actually, I loved it here. Now I guess I'll just have to see how long my little bubble lasts before reality comes crashing back in.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I shivered in the chilly ocean breeze as I made my way into work for the morning. I was regretting having not worn a sweatshirt over my thin t-shirt, but I knew that soon the day would warm up and I'd be sweating as I ran through the hot kitchen and delivered food to tables. I rubbed away the goosebumps on my arms with that thought in mind.

"Elena!"

I jumped slightly at the sound of my name being called, and my gaze snapped in the direction it came from. I would recognize that deep, velvety voice anywhere, and I didn't need to see the mop of black hair and piercing blue eyes jogging towards me to know who it belonged to.

I smiled widely and yelled back, "Hey!"

He waited to say anything else until he was closer to me, standing only a few feet away. "I'm glad I caught you. I just wanted to tell you that the paint you ordered came in. I have the can at the shop."

"Oh, okay. I'm working all day today so mind if I get it tomorrow? I'm only working until lunch then." I said.

"Tomorrow's fine." He smiled softly. "I would have just called to tell you that the paint was in, but I realized that I never got your phone number."

I hesitated, "Um, I don't actually have a phone."

It was a no brainer not to take my phone with me. I mean, that's probably the easiest way for Matt to find me. It did seem kind of strange that I didn't have a phone, maybe a little suspicious, but Damon didn't question it.

He smirked, "Then I guess the next time I want to talk to you I'll just have to show up at your doorstep."

I smiled a little, "I guess so. Just try not to break another window."

He rolled his eyes, "As long as you promise not to break another sink just as an excuse to see me."

I raised an amused brow, "Who said I needed an excuse to see you?"

His chuckle made my grin that much wider, and that little voice in my head told me that I was making a mistake flirting with him. It said that I'm damaged goods, that if I continue this and fall deeper into the hole I'm digging then I'm only going to drag Damon down with me.

But for the moment, his smile was all that mattered to me. It dulled that shrill voice into a quiet ache until I could completely ignore it.

"Then I guess I don't need an excuse to drop by your house whenever I want." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

I shrugged playfully, "I guess not." We both stood there smiling at each other for a moment before I said, "I've got to get to work, but I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded, "Yeah. See you tomorrow."

I watched him leave for a moment before turning towards The Grill.

Work was the same as always, but I didn't mind the routine. It was a welcome change to the unpredictable norm I'd adapted to in Virginia. I had never known what Matt's mood was going to be like, and everything around me revolved around that.

I had come to like working at The Grill more than I would have expected. It was just a starter job until I could find something more permanent, so I hadn't had high expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised. All of my coworkers were nice and knew how to make me laugh. The customers were very polite and tipped well. I've come to recognize a few of our regulars because they always stop to talk for a few minutes.

It was normal, and that in and of itself was refreshing. I've never had normalcy.

At the end of my shift a little after dinner, Caroline walked up to me and said, "Hey, you finishing up?"

"Yeah." I replied. "Why? You done too?"

She shrugged easily, "I can be done whenever I want. It's one of the perks to owning this place." I laughed as I stowed away my apron behind the front desk. "So you wanna come over my place now that you're done working? We totally need to have a girl's night! Plus, I _desperately_ need to go through my closet, and I need you to help me decide what to keep and what to give away so I have room for this upcoming season's newest clothes."

Caroline wants to get rid of clothes? That's simultaneously the most predictable and the least expected thing I've ever heard. Leave it to her to want to clean out her no doubt overflowing closet just to make room for more clothes.

"Yeah, sure. Sounds like fun." I said, following her down the dock to the dirt road.

The blonde groaned, "Ugh, I wish I was that enthusiastic about cleaning."

I smirked slightly, "Just so you know, you're insane if you think I'm actually coming over to help. I'm simply going to eat all your food and watch as you struggle to sort through the heaps of clothes."

She huffed with a laugh, "So _not_ the reason I invited you!"

We giggled and joked around the entire walk to her house. As the trees cleared they opened up to a cute little yellow house with a gray roof and a huge wraparound porch. I thought it suited Caroline well.

She led me inside and upstairs to her room, which still loosely resembled that of a teenager. The walls were painted a vibrant pink with bright, fun colors scattered throughout the furniture. It quite literally looked like a rainbow threw up, save for the neutral wood tones of the floor, bed frame, dresser, and vanity.

I sat down on her bed and grabbed one of the fluffy white fur pillows, pulling it into my lap. Caroline went straight for the white door that I assumed was her closet, but as she opened it I realized that closet was an understatement. It was more like a spare bedroom attached to her room. My jaw nearly hit the floor as she stood in the door frame with her hands on her hips, glaring into the space.

"Oh my god! Caroline, your closet could house an orphanage!" I shrieked, scrambling over to look inside.

She giggled, "You like? I had the house remodeled just to fit in this closet. It's like my own slice of heaven, as long as I don't have to clean it. Then it turns into my own personal hell."

I walked inside and looked at the neatly hanging shirts lining two of the four walls. Beneath them were drawers and shelves, with various clothing items scattered in disarray as if she had been in a hurry and tossed a shirt on the floor. Another wall was filled with shoes, more than I've ever seen even in a shoe store, and as I looked at her purses and accessories I began to wonder just how she afforded it all.

"Where do you even start?" I asked absently, rifling through a few dresses on hangers.

Caroline sighed, "Well, this spring I cleaned out all of my winter clothes to make room for more summer clothes, but now it's summer and I need room for winter clothes, so by default, bye-bye summer stuff."

I chuckled, "Okay, how about you try on the clothes you aren't sure you want, and I'll tell you what I think?"

She grinned, "Perfect! Okay, I have a bag of chocolate covered popcorn in the nightstand next to my bed, I'll let you have it since you're obviously the best friend ever."

Without even blinking, she threw her work shirt off of her head and stood in her light pink bra, looking for her first outfit. I hadn't even known her a week, but she was already acting like we were good friends. I smiled at the thought before finding that bag of popcorn and plopping down on her bed again.

God, I couldn't even remember the last time I had just hung around the house with Bonnie. My life was always about Matt. He didn't like that I was so close with Bonnie. He thought that she was stealing me away from him and planting negative ideas about him in my head. What he didn't know was that he did that all by himself. Bonnie was my only support through everything, and if I hadn't had her, I don't know what I would have done.

When things settled, I'd definitely need to find a way to make it up to her. I've been a terrible friend all these years, always putting myself first…I guess I could argue that I needed to put myself first. That I needed to put my survival first, and my own well being…but I could have found time to do something to show Bonnie how much she means to me, and how much I appreciated her help.

My thoughts were interrupted as Caroline strutted out of the closet dressed in a white summer dress, flowing loosely to her knees and matching wedges. She began, "Okay, so I still like this dress, but I feel like it's just too simple, you know?"

I pointed out, "But it's always good to have the basics."

She frowned, "True…then I guess I'll keep this one. What about the shoes?"

I smirked, "They were hot last year, they're hot this year."

She grinned and chuckled, "You're good at this." She disappeared back into the closet as I shoved a handful of popcorn in my mouth. I heard her say, "You know, I'm really glad you moved to town. It's nice having a friend who isn't a stuck up bitch—ahem—Amber Bradley—ahem." I stifled a laugh as she grumbled, "Stupid stuck up bitch from high school that stole my boyfriend after pinky promising that she'd never date someone I was involved with."

"Sounds like even this little town has drama." I mused.

"You got that right." She snorted, appearing in front of me in a pair of white shorts with a burnt orange tank and gold sandals.

"Cute." I said immediately.

She smirked, "Glad you think so, because it's yours."

I furrowed my brows, "Wait, what?"

"You're welcome to your pick of whatever I don't want. We look about the same size, so I'm sure it would fit." She told me.

I didn't know what to think. Whether to be excited about it, or relieved that I don't have to find some new clothes soon, or even annoyed that she thinks I need new clothes. I quickly reminded myself that she never said that, and she probably has no idea that I'm currently living on five shirts.

"Wow, that's really nice of you…" I said more to myself. "Why would you do that? You barely even know me…"

She knitted her brows and looked at me like I was crazy, "So? If I didn't give them to you, they'd just be going to charity, and I'd much prefer to entrust my precious children to a friend than a stranger that will never be able to properly appreciate them.

As she moved to change again, I said, "Yeah. Thank you, by the way."

I don't think she knows how much this means to me, no matter how simple the gesture. I'm not used to people doing nice things for me, so when it happens I tend to hold on to those moments. They remind me that not everyone is out to hurt me.

But of course she didn't know that either, and I didn't want her to. She easily brushed off my thanks and I left it at that. No need to go making things more complicated than need be.

Caroline continued to chatter, "But yeah, it's not often that someone new moves to town."

"So it's a really tightly knit place?" I questioned.

"Oh yeah, everybody knows everybody and nothing stays a secret long once the town gossips catch wind of it." She said.

I felt my heart momentarily stop at the prospect of someone finding out my secret. But it wasn't possible…I was careful. He can't find me here.

As she came out in yet another sundress colored a pale purple, she twirled around, clearly missing my momentary fear. "What do you think?"

I smiled, pushing the feeling back, "Is it wrong for me to tell you something's hideous just so I get to keep it?"

She playfully scowled, "Yes! Maybe I need to add you to my hit list right under Amber Bradley's name!"

I giggled, "You wouldn't!"

She scoffed, "Please, I once 'accidentally' spilled water all over a rude customer at The Grill. I think I would."

"Does that mean you're giving me permission to spill drinks on creepy dudes and rude soccer moms?" I asked sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes before going into the closet, "You wish! And just a tip, if you ever get a creepy guy that won't stop hitting on you, flirt back with him a little. You get major tips."

I shivered in disgust, "Ew, Care!"

"What!?" She squealed defensively. "I didn't get all these clothes out of sheer luck!"

I laughed and rolled my eyes. She reappeared in a blue crop top with high waisted shorts, and we deduced that she was going to keep both things. I'd love to wear high waisted shorts, but with my curves they don't fit right and make me look like I have no shape.

A few outfits later, I finally found the courage to ask the question that's been lingering in my mind for a while now.

"Hey Care? What do you think of Damon?"

The rustling in the closet stopped abruptly, the clanging of hangers on metal ceasing. She walked into her room in only a barely there shirt and her panties, a confused and intrigued expression on her face. "Damon?" She asked with a raised brow. "Why do you care about Damon? I mean, I get it, he's sexy as all hell, but as soon as he opens his mouth he goes from a perfect ten all the way down to a generous four."

I frowned, shrugging my shoulders, "When I talked to him he seemed really nice. Funny too."

Her brows lifted in the air and she smiled a little, "Oh, I get it now. He just wants to sleep with you, so he needs you to think he's not a complete ass. Well, I'll just fill you in now so you know to stay away. Any woman over the age of eighteen and under the age of thirty five has fallen victim to his charm. He seduces, then once he's gotten what he wants he's done."

"But I thought you said he didn't do that anymore ever since he started taking care of Mia and Alex?" I pointed out, hoping that I wasn't just another conquest to him.

She shrugged, sitting down on the bed next to me, "He hasn't lately, but that doesn't mean he doesn't. I've known him all my life, and the only serious relationship he was in was our junior year of high school. It only lasted a few months before he got bored. I guess I just want you to know what you're getting into with him."

I bit my lower lip as I thought about it. From the way Damon acts I never would have thought he'd just be using me, but then again, am I really the best judge of character when it comes to men?

I sighed, "Yeah, I you're probably right…I don't know, I guess I just thought that helping me with the sink, and ordering me the paint was something more—"

"Whoa wait." She cut me off. "You ordered paint?"

Didn't she say I was allowed to paint the house? I floundered for a moment before saying, "Um, yeah, you said that I could paint the house…"

She waved me off, "Yeah, of course, but that's not what I meant. You ordered paint, from Damon?"

I nodded slowly, laughing a little, "Yeah…what about it?"

She huffed, "That bastard! I asked him if I could get paint at his store not even three weeks ago for the kitchen, and he called me Barbie before not so nicely telling me that if I wanted paint to go to a paint store!"

I fought back a smile, connecting the dots that Damon had gone even further out of his way than I thought for me. Nothing about this felt fake like Caroline seemed so convinced of. It didn't feel like Damon was just trying to get in my pants, and sure there might be some flirting, but would he really be so irresponsible as to flirt with me right in front of his family if he only wanted sex?

Caroline's irritated tone turned softer as she said, "Huh. If Damon's going out of his way to do something for you, maybe he's not just trying to get some." She frowned a moment before continuing, "Look, Elena, Damon's not a bad guy. Our personalities just clash together, like oil and water. When he's being genuine…well, that's the Damon that has a heart of gold and would do anything for those he loves."

"So I'm not crazy for buying into him?" I asked timidly. It felt wrong to even be interested in him the way I was, given my situation, but I could control my emotions about as much as I could the weather.

She smiled, "Of course not. And if you do bone him, I want the details."

I blushed a little at her choice of words, but then I felt myself getting even redder as I imagined it. Caroline just chuckled and went back to her closet.

The rest of the night passed similarly. Caroline would try on clothes as we talked and laughed about anything and everything. I listened with amusement as she told me stories about her high school years and childhood, all the while thinking about how happy she sounded. I even told her a little about my childhood, sharing the funny memories I had with my parents. We ate even more snacks when the popcorn ran out, and I was brought back to sleepovers with Bonnie. I had a feeling that Caroline and Bonnie would get along well.

When the sky began growing darker and darker, I decided that it was time to head home while I could still see. So I gathered all of the clothes that Caroline was giving me in a laundry bag she had lying around, and with a promise of doing this again soon, I went home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

As I walked down the road towards Damon's store, I took a moment to enjoy the beautiful day and breathe in the present moment. I felt amazing in Bar Harbor. Better than I have in years in Mystic Falls. I had a good friend that I could rely on, a job that paid well, a decent home to live in, and most of all, I felt safe. At least for the moment.

It was easy to believe that nobody could find me here. Of course there was that little voice telling me to always have one eye looking over my shoulder. Just to be safe, I needed to always be on the look out. I doubted that was ever going to change, so long as Matt was still after me. I briefly wondered what he was doing, and if he was close to finding me, but I quickly banished those thoughts and forced myself to forget.

I jumped a little when a seagull flying overhead let out a loud squawk, and I began moving just a little bit faster towards the old wooden building. Painting would be a good distraction.

When I walked in the door, my eyes immediately began searching for the head of black hair and blue eyes that have single handedly made me question what it is I'm doing here. But I know one thing's for sure. I can't let anyone get too involved in my life. It will only pull them into my mess, and I won't put anybody in danger like that.

Damon was behind the counter writing something down a piece of paper. When he saw it was me, a little half smile spread across his face, "Here for your paint?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Alright, wait here, I'll go grab it from the back." He said, moving towards the door across the room. He returned carrying two gallons and set them on the counter, saying, "So here's the paint you ordered, and I found this can of primer in the back that I figured you might want. You just put it down first so the color stays better, and—"

"Oh, yeah, I didn't even think of that." I laughed a little. "Thanks."

He smiled, "No problem. And I have brushes here that you'll probably want, unless you're planning on painting with your hands."

"Brushes are perfect." I said with a little grin.

"And the primer is fast drying so it should only take an hour or two before the color's ready to go down." Damon continued, almost rambling.

I nodded, "Okay, sounds good."

I grabbed the plastic bag and then a paint can in each hand, lifting them off the counter, I grunted a little, not expecting how heavy they were. Damon raised a brow, "I can give you a ride if you want, those are pretty heavy to walk all the way to your house."

I brushed him off, "No, I'm fine. I can handle it."

I swung my hip against the door to open it but it didn't budge and Damon said, "Damn it, I thought I had fixed that door…" He walked around the counter and pushed open the one next to it, "Here."

"Thanks." I said and gave him one last smile before beginning the long walk. I swear it was looking even longer now that I had this paint. The metal handles were already digging painfully into my hands, no doubt leaving tender red lines.

I only got about twenty feet away from the shop before I had to set them down and shake out my hands. Maybe that ride wouldn't be so bad. I turned around with a defeated look on my face, seeing Damon standing there smirking, twirling his car keys around his finger.

I waited on the side of the road as he brought an old Camaro over to me. He hopped out and helped me put everything in the back, saying, "I love this Camaro more than anything, but it's a real bitch when you need the backseat."

I smiled, amused, "I noticed the car seat. You never thought to get a different car?"

He scoffed, "This baby is my life and blood. I'd die for her."

He got back in the driver's seat and I climbed into the passenger seat. He began driving as I fastened my seatbelt. We sat in silence for a few moments as I listened to the audiobook playing in the cassette player. It was of _Charlotte's Web_. I smiled, remembering when I had to read the book in elementary school and Bonnie and I would always talk about how sad it was that they wanted to kill Wilbur.

Damon must have noticed my smile because he began fiddling with the buttons, saying, "Sorry about this. The kids love listening to books, don't ask me why."

I laughed softly, "It's fine. This is my favorite book."

"Really?" He asked, sounding skeptical. "I know that it's a kid's book and all, but don't you think it's a little dark?"

I shrugged, "Maybe it is. But I think it's kind of poetic. A pig that was born to be slaughtered survives while the spider, a creature that the farmer paid no mind, dies."

He chuckled, "Poetic?"

I lightly slapped his arm, "Don't laugh!"

He grinned and held up one hand while keeping the other on the wheel, "Alright, alright, I'm done."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head when I heard him snicker again. "So, speaking of your kids, where were they today?" I asked, trying to make conversation.

"My mom's looking after them." He answered easily. "I think she was taking them out to the docks to go fishing, but that woman couldn't catch a fish if it was dead on the beach." I blew out a laugh and stayed silent, not knowing what to say. He continued, "Yeah, they're great kids, though. I couldn't ask for better."

"Caroline was telling me a little about why you take care of them rather than their parents." I said carefully, hoping I wasn't overstepping a boundary.

He nodded, "Yeah, my brother enlisted in the military three years ago and was shipped off for training. He hasn't been able to come back since, so my mom and I share custody of them."

"Must be hard…" I commented sincerely.

He shrugged, "It was at first. It was easier with Alex since he was four and kind of understood that his dad was leaving, but with Mia…she was only one, and she doesn't really remember her dad. She would call me Dad until she was able to understand that I was her uncle. Stefan, my brother, writes to us all the time and we write back, but I still think it's hard for them to grasp that he's gone, and we don't know when he'll be back."

My heart clenched at the story. I knew there were more details, but it wasn't my business to pry. All I could think of was how his brother could just leave his two young kids behind. It's not like he was forced to enlist, and it sounded to me like he was running from fatherhood. I was in no place to judge, but if I ever had kids there wouldn't be anything in the world that could separate us.

He parked the car outside my house and shut the engine off, and we both got out. He grabbed the paint and the bag, and I led him up the stairs and onto the porch.

"Thank you for the ride, Damon. I've got it from here." I said, taking everything from him.

"You sure?" He asked. "Just make sure you sand the floor before the primer, and then—you know what, you know what to do." He gave me a half wave and I fought back a laugh as he climbed back into his car. I stood in the doorway as I watched his car drive away, and when he was gone I went inside to begin painting.

I taped off the section of floor I wanted to paint then got to work sanding and prepping for primer. The repetitive work made it easy to focus and forget about my problems, but it also left a lot of room for unwanted thoughts to swirl around. This town felt safe, but so long as Matt was out there I was always going to be looking over my shoulder, and nothing was going to change that.

The primer went on easily, and dried within an hour, so I was able to put down the bright blue-green paint. The color definitely made the place look happier, and it made the space look bigger. Fun, even. It was liberating being able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Nobody was around to tell me no or punish me for it. I didn't have to worry about being judged or hurt.

The independence was so exhilarating.

It was well past ten when I finished laying down the last coat of color, so I quickly got ready for bed before switching off the lights and burying myself under the covers. As safe as I felt, there was always a feeling of foreboding that I doubted would ever leave. I was beginning to believe that while I may be able to run physically, there was no amount of emotional running I could do to escape my own head.

* * *

" _Elena, I'm home." Matt yelled as he walked in through the door._

 _I quickly smoothed out my three hundred dollar dress and ran a hand through my hair, readjusting the long blonde locks. "In the kitchen!" I called back with as much happiness as I could muster._

 _A moment later, I felt his arms go around my waist and he buried his nose in my hair, inhaling deeply, "I don't know what smells better, you, or dinner."_

 _I smiled and turned in his arms, kissing him affectionately. "I made your favorite, steak with mashed potatoes and asparagus."_

 _He smiled apprehensively and stepped away, moving towards the stove to inspect my cooking. I swallowed thickly, my body going tense as he carefully tasted the potatoes. I prayed to god that he liked them._

" _Perfect."_

 _With that one word, my entire body relaxed._

" _I assume you got wine to go with it?" He raised a brow at me._

 _I nodded and grabbed the bottle that I set near the fridge, "It's a nice one. The woman at the store assured me that it went well with red meat and went down smoothly."_

 _Alcohol was one thing I knew I couldn't get wrong. As long as it would get him drunk, he didn't care._

" _Put it on the table with two glasses, would you? I'm going to change before we eat."_

 _He went down the hall to take off his uniform and I hastily began setting the table. I rearranged the plates, napkins, and silverware over and over again, striving for perfection. I suddenly couldn't remember if he liked the fork on the right or left, and one wrong move would result in disaster._

 _I swallowed my fear and decided on the right, then placed the knife on the left. I scurried back into the kitchen, teetering on my six inch designer heels that I was sure I'd sprain an ankle in. But they were a present, and if I didn't wear them he'd make sure I knew it wasn't acceptable._

 _I plated up each of our dinners, carefully placing each food on the plate neatly and attractively. I wiped away any sauce that spilled on the edges before setting them on our placemats. I grabbed the butter for the potatoes knowing that Matt liked to add extra, and I grabbed the steak sauce as well, positioning both items on the table within his reach._

 _Going back into the kitchen, I grabbed the uncooked pie I had made earlier and set it in the oven to begin baking. By the time we finished eating, it would finished and nice and hot._

 _Just as I returned to the dining room, Matt walked in and sat down in his seat, "It looks great, Elena. You've outdone yourself."_

 _I smiled happily and sat down, "Thank you. Let me know if you need anything else."_

 _He cut himself a bite of steak and said, "Actually, if you could pour me some of that wine that would be great."_

 _Abandoning my dinner, I stood up and retrieved a corkscrew from the kitchen and opened the bottle. I poured him a generous glass, knowing he liked a lot, then poured a normal amount in my own._

" _How does everything taste? Is it alright?" I asked, obediently waiting for his reply._

 _He nodded, "It's perfect. Wherever you bought the steak, I want you to always get it there."_

 _Breathing a sigh of relief, I smiled, "It was from that little butcher shop on the corner of Oakdale. Robert Daven's wife recommended it at their last dinner party. And I picked up the potatoes and asparagus at a farmer's market, so it was all fresh."_

 _He didn't comment further, instead he shoveled down the food and guzzled down three large glasses of wine. I ate tentatively, afraid that he would chastise me for something. He hadn't said anything about the table setting, so I assumed I got the fork placement correct. The flowers in the vase were fresh from our garden out back, too._

" _That dress looks fantastic on you, just like I knew it would." He said emotionlessly, but I smiled anyways._

" _You always know what I look good in. Thank you for spending the money on me, you know you don't have to."_

" _But I want to. You need to always look your best to keep up with the highest socialites of the town. We can't have them thinking that we're slipping up and becoming a part of the riff raff."_

" _Well either way, thank you. I love the dress and shoes."_

 _We continued eating and made light conversation. I told him everything I knew he wanted to hear while doing my part to make the evening go smoothly. When we were just about finished, the oven beeped and Matt asked, "What was that?"_

" _I made a cherry pie." I told him, excusing myself to go take it out of the oven. He allowed me to do so without complaint and I set it on the stove top to cool down. I returned to the dining room and noticing his empty plate I asked, "Are you finished with dinner?"_

 _He nodded, "Yes. I'm ready for pie, but first, sit down." I obeyed and he said, "I got you something today."_

 _Bringing his hand to the table, he presented me with a black box. He opened the top to reveal a silver necklace with a circular pendant. Some sort of odd design was raised on the large bulky hunk of metal, with a small red jewel strategically placed in the pattern._

 _Truth be told, it was the most hideous thing I'd ever seen. I didn't even know what the pendant was supposed to be, and it certainly wasn't anything I'd ever recognize. But I wasn't going to tell him that._

" _It's gorgeous, Matt, I love it." I gushed, gathering my hair so he could put it on me. It felt heavy and cold against my skin, and hung awkwardly on the front of my dress. It didn't match at all, but Matt seemed pleased with my reaction and that was all that mattered._

" _I saw it in the window of an antique store on the way home and it reminded me of when you told me you loved going antique shopping."_

 _I have never said that in my life, and I was puzzled as to where he got that idea from. I hated antiques. They were old and dusty, not to mention ugly and falling apart. I much more preferred modern styles._

" _That was sweet of you." I told him, faking my enthusiasm. That was something I had gotten pretty good at._

 _He smiled, "Now where's that pie?"_

" _Coming right up."_

 _I took his dirty dishes into the kitchen and deposited them in the sink to wash when we were finished. I cut the pie and plated a piece for each of us, and brought it to the table with two new forks._

 _Matt moaned as he took the first bite, "It's excellent, Elena. This has been a truly amazing dinner."_

 _I smiled widely and thanked him, feeling pleased with myself for getting tonight right. The pie was very good, and when we finished I gathered our plates in one hand and the bottle of wine in the other._

" _Did I say I was finished with that?" He asked sharply, freezing me in my spot._

 _Oh no._

 _I cautiously turned around and gave him a smile, "No, sorry." I put the bottle back down and turned to continue putting our dishes into the sink._

" _If you have something to say, then say it." He said, that familiar anger creeping into his tone._

 _My voice sounded unsteady even to my own ears as I said, "I don't have anything to say."_

 _He stood abruptly, causing the chair to scrape along the hardwood floors, "You think I drink too much, don't you?"_

 _Oh god, this was bad. He was drunk, and I just upset him. I couldn't believe I had thought I was in the clear! I cursed myself for being so stupid, for not thinking about my actions._

" _Of course not, Matty, you've worked hard today and you deserve to drink as much as you'd like." I tried, knowing that using his nickname could help diffuse the bomb._

 _I was wrong._

 _Suddenly the room shifted until there was nothing left but blackness around me, and Matt was angrily stalking towards me. Fear tightened around my heart and I tried to run in the other direction, but I tripped over the awful heels and fell to the floor. I could hear myself begging, screaming at him to stop but he had me in his grasp and he wasn't letting go._

 _Pain shot through my abdomen and I cried out, my squirming only making it worse._

 _Finally I was able to kick him off of me, but when I looked over my shoulder to see if he was chasing me I found that he was gone. His voice sounded loud as it echoed above me in the blackness._

" _Did you really think you could escape me? I'm your life, Elena, your forever! You belong to me and that will never change! I will find you, you gold digging whore, and when I do, I will kill you. Slowly, and painfully, until you're begging me to finish the job!"_

 _I screamed in horror and spun around in circles, looking for somewhere to go to get away from here. Suddenly he appeared in front of me, his black pistol aimed right at me._

" _On second thought, I think I'll just end you now…"_

 _I tried to beg him not to, to let me live and I promised I would do better, but it was on deaf ears._

 _Bang!_

* * *

I jolted up with a scream, tears streaming down my face as I gasped for breath and scrambled in my bed as close to the headboard as I could get. I frantically looked around the room, searching for him so I could get away. He wasn't going to get me again, I wouldn't survive it!

Then I realized that I wasn't in our room. I was in _my_ room in _my_ house in Bar Harbor. I brought my knees to my chest and buried my face between them, sobbing violently as I rocked back and forth. My heart was pounding and my hands shook as I tried to grab my hair and push it away from my face.

I hated him. I hated that he could do this to me even after I left him. I hated the hold he had over me, that he would probably always have. He ruined me. I couldn't even get through the night without having a nightmare about him.

I sucked in and endless number of breaths in attempt to calm my sobs, but they did nothing. I was hysterical, in the middle of a full blown meltdown. I hurried over to my bedroom window and threw it open, not caring if it broke or not, and I inhaled deep steady breaths of the cool air.

It was tinged with salt from the sea, and smelled fresh like the woods. It reassured me that I was not in Mystic Falls anymore. I jumped at the sound of a branch snapping, my guard going up as I looked around outside. Everything appeared quiet and still, save for the occasional cricket chirping. It was still dark out, but no doubt it would be morning soon.

I wiped away the tears as they fell and decided to get a glass of water to soothe my thick, dry throat. I closed the window and began heading for the kitchen.

Another sound made me jump, and I looked to the window above the sink to see that there was a branch hitting it. I cursed myself for letting something so stupid scare me.

I was safe. Matt didn't know where I was. He couldn't find me.

I repeated those sentences over and over in my head as I sobbed into the damp sleeves of my shirt. I ran to the front door and made sure that it was locked, then I stumbled my way further into the kitchen but froze when I felt my foot touch something wet.

I closed my eyes and prayed that it wasn't blood, though logically I knew that was impossible. All I could remember was the blood…on my hands, my feet, my face, my dress…

Looking down, I let out another sob of both relief and frustration when I realized I stepped right into the wet paint.

What did I do to deserve this life? This pain, and torture?

The answer was plain and simple. Nothing. I didn't deserve to be going through any of this. All I ever wanted was to have a man that loved me and respected me, but instead I got someone that preferred having me as an object. A pet to groom and train. Nothing more than a loyal companion that was expected to act on his every demand.

I sighed, sniffling back the rest of my tears. If I had any hope of starting this new chapter of my life, I had to move on.

 _Like that was possible_ , I thought bitterly.

Dragging myself into the bathroom on one foot, I washed the paint from the bottom of my other as dawn broke and the first light of the day washed in through the window. I splashed some cold water on my face and looked into the mirror.

"I can do this. I got away from him. He can't find me. I'm safe now." Brushing my hair behind my ear, I continued, "You didn't go through hell only to go right back down there. You're going to come out on top. Nobody knows your secret here, and nobody ever will. You can do this."

I hoped that my brain truly believed my reflection.


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for those that have reviewed/favorited/followed and I want to quickly get this entire story posted so you're not left hanging, especially since it's already written. I'll probably do a couple chapters a day so look out for multiple posts. I'll try to remember to put an A/N before any double posts to remind everyone to read the previous chapter first.

Also, I wanted to mention that I'd love to find a Beta to help me work on another story I'm currently writing. If anyone is interested or knows somebody that is, PM me!

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

"Liam, can you please take this food to table six for me?" I asked hopefully, giving him my best puppy dog eyes.

He chuckled, "Yeah, sure." He took the tray from me and I thanked him before heading to the register to take care of the three different checks I had.

Liam returned just as I finished the last one and said, "I just seated someone at table two, so when you get the chance…"

I nodded and gave him a smile before taking the checks back to their respective tables.

After this morning's breakdown, I considered calling into work sick, but I decided against it. I really needed the money, and if I just sat around all day I'd drive myself to another meltdown with rampant thoughts. I needed to be strong and I couldn't let him affect me anymore. I was safe now.

I grabbed my notepad and a pen as I headed towards table two, and I smiled when I saw that it was Damon with Mia and Alex. "Well look who we have here." I greeted them, earning a surprised grin from Damon and an excited laugh from Mia.

"It's me, Mia!" She squealed happily, looking up from her coloring. The Grill provided paper placemats and crayons to kids.

I laughed softly, "I see that. What are you drawing? Anything good?"

She nodded, "I's colorin' the butterfly."

"It's a pretty butterfly, too." I said, inspecting the mess of pink and red. I looked to Alex then, "What are you coloring?"

He rolled his eyes a little, "I'm not coloring, Elena, I'm doing the word search." I smiled at his attitude and he asked, "Will you play tic-tac-toe with me? Uncle Damon doesn't like it 'cause he always loses."

I laughed and shot Damon an amused smirk, "I'd love to, Alex, but I'm working right now. Maybe in a little bit if I can take a break, okay?"

He nodded and focused all of his attention back on the placemat just like Mia. I looked to Damon who laughed, "The kid's got his father's looks, but my attitude."

"So I've noticed." I said, leaning my elbows against the tall table. "Too busy to cook lunch for them?"

"More like too lazy." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes and looked to the brown haired little girl, "Mia, what can I get you to eat, honey?"

She beamed at me, "I want the chicken tenders and french fries. With apple juice!"

"Mia, what do you say?" Damon gently prodded.

"Please!" She added.

I smiled and jotted down her order, "What about you, Alex?"

"The pizza, please."

"And Damon?"

"Just a burger is fine."

"Alright, it'll be out shortly." I told them and Damon thanked me as I left.

I tended to my other tables after placing their orders with the cooks. I already felt better after our short conversation, and I was sure that spending even more time with them would help me completely recover from this morning's disaster.

Eventually their food was finished so I delivered it to their table, and it didn't take much convincing on Damon's part to get me to take a break and join them. I told another server that I was taking my break and she promised that she'd cover my tables. I sat down in the last available chair next to Damon and Mia and across from Alex.

"Will you play tic-tac-toe with me now?" Alex asked hopefully.

"Yeah, of course." I said, picking up a red crayon.

With his blue crayon already starting his first move, he said, "I'm X's and you're O's."

As we began playing, Mia asked, "Elena, what's your favorite color?"

"Hm…" I hummed as I thought. "I like purple."

"Okay." She said and I shared an odd look with Damon. Kids were always so unpredictable and said whatever came to their mind.

I stole a fry from Damon's plate and popped it in my mouth as I drew an O in the corner. Alex giggled, "I win!"

He drew a line through his row of three X's and I gasped, "How did you do that?"

"I'm the best at this game!" He practically smirked, proving once more that his attitude came straight from Damon.

As we started another game I snagged another fry from Damon and he teased, "Don't you ever eat?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm not big on cooking, so most of my meals come from a box or from here."

He scoffed, "You've got to eat some homemade food at some point."

I smirked, "Well tonight I'm going to pull a Damon and declare myself too lazy to cook dinner."

"Not if I come over and cook you dinner. I think by then my laziness will have passed. That, and I won't be cooking dinosaur chicken nuggets and mac n' cheese."

"Oh, but I love dinosaur chicken and mac n' cheese!" I pouted playfully.

He laughed, "Come on, let me come over and cook you some real dinner."

Realizing he was serious, I started, "No, Damon, you don't need to—"

"Consider it me asking you out on a date." He cut in, leaving me speechless. I absolutely did _not_ need to go on a date. There was so much wrong with me, so much that he would never want to deal with…I shouldn't be selfish with him and follow my own desires, no matter how oddly timed they were. By every definition of my situation, I shouldn't want any kind of romantic relationship. Yet looking at the serious expression on Damon's face made me reconsider.

"I win again!" Alex interrupted us our staring contest, then began the next game.

I broke our gaze to pacify him by making my move, then said, "You can cook for me if you really want to Damon, but it's not a date."

The sooner I made it clear that I couldn't be in a relationship, the better.

He didn't look very convinced, but said, "So be it."

Mia tugged at my arm and said, "Look at what I drawed!" She showed me a picture she had drawn on the blank back of the placemat. She pointed to a stick figure and said, "That's you, with a purple dress and your brown hair, just like mine! And this is me, with a pink dress, and this is your blue floor!"

I grinned at the drawing and said, "I painted the floor last night, and it really made my house look nice. Until I accidentally stepped in it this morning when I woke up. I forgot I had painted."

She laughed, "Did you leave footprints around the house?"

"No, I hopped on one foot to the bathroom and washed it off." I said with a smile. Looking to the clock, I realized that I should probably get back to work soon.

Noticing my thoughts, Damon asked, "Is five good for tonight?"

"Five is perfect." I told him with a smile, placing a hand on his shoulder before getting back to work.

* * *

My shift at The Grill ended at four, but I didn't get out of there until closer to four thirty. It usually worked out like that unless I was closing up.

I had to hurry home so I had enough time to get ready for Damon's arrival. The butterflies in my stomach were already swirling around at the thought of seeing him again. I couldn't understand why my brain insisted on toying with him, with his flirting and his advances… I wasn't ready for it. I couldn't be, right? I just got out of the worst relationship that I'll ever experience…it's only been a little over a week. I was damaged goods. I would be forever. The last thing I wanted to do was bring someone else into my problems.

That's why this wasn't a date. It was just two friends hanging out.

When I got home, I tied my hair up so it didn't get wet and jumped in the shower. The hot water scalded my skin, but I welcomed it. I prayed that it would wash away any evidence of just how damaged I was, but my scars ran deeper than physical blemishes and it would take a lot more than a shower to get rid of them.

When I finished, I put on a pair of shorts and a strappy white top that Caroline gave me. As for my hair, I let it down and attempted to tame it, but decided it needed to stay up. Or at least part of it did. I scooped up the top half and tied it into a bun on the back of my head then tamed the much more manageable waves that were left down.

I heard Damon's loud Camaro before I saw it, and I quickly cleaned up as best I could before he came inside. Luckily I didn't have many things _to_ clean.

He knocked on the door just as I finished throwing away the last empty water bottle and I hurried over to answer it. He looked as amazing as ever, dressed in a black button down with dark jeans. Between his dark hair and clothes, his eyes looked particularly stunning with no other colors to compete with.

He held up a grocery bag, "I got everything I need to cook you the best chicken alfredo you'll ever taste."

I smiled, "Come on in, then. That sounds amazing."

I stepped aside to let him in then shut the door behind him. "I like the floor." He commented, setting the bag down on the dining table. "It is dry, right?"

"Now? Yes. I made sure since it is in the kitchen. But this morning, not so much."

He chuckled to himself then knelt down to touch it, running his fingers over the smooth surface. "You did a great job. No splinters or bumps or anything."

"Thank you." I said softly, leaning my hip against the table. He stood then stepped on the color, moving to look at the other window that I couldn't get to open next to the door when suddenly the floor gave out and his foot fell through the old wood. I burst out in laughter as he looked down at his foot that was now on the ground outside in horror. "Oh my god, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, are you okay?" I giggled out as I rushed to his side, unable to quiet down.

"Am I okay…Elena, I just fell through your floor!" He said in shock.

I reached for his arm to help him up, still laughing hysterically, but as he pulled his foot out the floor boards just fell apart, leaving a big hole behind. He ended up tugging me to the ground in the process, and I was clutching my stomach as I laughed while he just grinned at me in amusement. "Damon, it's fine, I promise. This house wasn't anything special." He couldn't stop looking between my reaction and the floor, so I placed a hand on his chest to get his attention and asked, "Now are you okay?"

He let out a laugh, looking between me and the hole, "Yeah, I'm fine, but your floor…"

"Don't worry about it." I rolled my eyes.

"I can fix it." He promised. "I just need some new floor boards and—"

"Damon, stop." I giggled, standing up. I grabbed the small rug I had bought for the front door and moved it over to the hole, covering it so nothing could get inside. "There. All fixed, just like the window."

He laughed, "God, I'm tearing your house apart!"

I gave him a hand up and said, "It's only temporary, and I got it for really cheap for a reason."

He shook his head, "When winter comes around, there's no way I'm letting you live in here. You'll freeze to death."

"I definitely plan on being out of here before then." I told him. "Now, if you avoid that area, you should be good. I haven't fallen through the floor anywhere else yet."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you." He teased, moving around my small kitchen with ease as he located pots, pans, and utensils.

"Need any help?" I offered as he pulled out various ingredients from the bags.

He gave me a sideways smirk, "Nope. You just sit there, and look beautiful."

I smiled softly and hopped up on the counter. It was a strange feeling having someone else cook for me in my own home. I was always the one cooking everyday and being the best housewife I could be. It was trained into me to the point where I almost felt uncomfortable sitting around and watching a man cook for me, but I reminded myself that this was normal to everyone else. I shouldn't feel scared or nervous that he was going to get mad at me for not helping him.

As he began cutting up the chicken, he said, "Let me know how much Caroline wants to fix the window and the floor, will you?"

Knowing it was useless to argue with him, I nodded, "I will when I get around to telling her."

"I don't suppose you have wine glasses?" He asked.

"Um…" I hesitated, hopping down form the counter to look in the cabinet where the dishes were. "I have plastic yellow cups and these really ugly old glasses." I said, showing him the horrible floral design covering them.

"That'll have to do then." He chuckled. "Assuming you like wine…"

"Love it." I assured him, moving the bottle and two glasses to the table. I caught myself carefully arranging each item, and I closed my eyes, telling myself this was different. But then there was that little voice inside my head that said, what if it's not? What if he doesn't like the way I laid out the table?

The more logical part of me said that he would never hurt me like Matt did. He wouldn't care if I put his fork on the right or the left, in fact, he wouldn't even notice. But that didn't stop the what if's.

"So you said you're from Virginia, right?" He asked as I took my place again on the counter next to him.

"Born and raised." I told him proudly. As much wrong as Mystic Falls had done me, I would always be proud of that little town. My parents had been _so_ proud of everything they did. They always talked about Mystic Falls with such love and adoration, and the people that lived there were, in their eyes, the best there were. There had to be something good there for them to love it so much.

"I see you've got that southern small town charm going on." He smirked, sliding the chicken from the cutting board into a pan.

"Never did have the accent though." I pointed out, watching him stir the sizzling meat before dumping some noodles into a pot of boiling water. "What about you, lived here all your life?"

"Yes I have." He confirmed. "All twenty seven years. It's just been me, my brother, and our mom. Our dad left before Stefan was even born, so I really don't remember him but I can't say I'm upset about it. Bar Harbor's treated us well though."

"What's your favorite part about the town?"

"The ocean, for sure." He answered without hesitation. "There's nothing like living right on the beach, waking up to the ocean air, and not having anything to worry about except for getting the newspaper in the morning. The relaxed lifestyle is everything."

"Spoken like someone that knows what the city is like." I said with a knowing look.

He smirked, "Nicely deduced. I spent a few years in New York during college, but I hated it. The fast life just wasn't for me."

"I've never been to the city." I confessed. "I think I'd like to, though. For college I went to a small, local university in Virginia."

"What did you go for?"

"Business and marketing."

His brows rose, "Very professional sounding."

"It's really just a fancy way to say I know how to schmooze and sell a product." I laughed. "What did you go to college for?"

He shrugged, "I was undecided for two years with no career path in sight. Then we found out about Alex, and I dropped out to come back home to be with my family."

"It's respectable, how much you love your family." I said gently. The one person I had left that I thought was my family turned out to enjoy hurting me more than loving me.

"Without them, I don't know where I'd be." He said like it was the simplest thing in the world, and to him it probably was.

Unfortunately, I knew what it was like to not have a family anymore, and I knew exactly where I ended up without them. In the arms of a man that only wanted to hurt me. He was lucky to never know what he'd do without them. There is no pain quite like grief.

"So where did you learn to cook? Your mom?" I asked curiously.

"Of course." He smirked. "We share a lot more than just our looks."

"Like what? Your unflinching ability to say what's on your mind without thinking about it twice?" I teased.

He laughed, "It's part of our charm. We both also love cooking, sailing, and crabbing."

"Crabbing?"

He nodded, "Yeah, you know, fishing for crabs. You get a trap and some bait then throw it in the water. Check it a little while later and see what you caught."

"And you like doing that?" I asked skeptically.

"It's actually more fun than you'd think." He said, stirring cheese into the sauce he was working on. "I'll take you along the next time we go."

"I'd like that."

He finished cooking dinner and we sat down at my small table to eat. His cooking was like heaven on a plate, and I had to consciously stop myself from moaning at the taste. We continued talking about Bar Harbor and a little more about his family while drinking wine from those ugly glasses and inhaling the delicious food. He didn't ask me about my life before I moved here much, for which I was thankful. He only ever asked basic questions like what I was like in high school and what my interests were.

The whole evening was very enjoyable. I had more fun than I thought was possible after the hell I just recently escaped. I was actually beginning to think that I really was safe here, and that Matt couldn't find me. I hadn't a heard a thing about him yet, and I hoped it stayed that way.

When our plates were cleared, I stood up and reflexively took Damon's empty plate, piling it on mine as he thanked me. I grabbed the bottle of wine and began heading towards the kitchen as he said, "Oh, hey, you can just leave that on the table for when I take it home later."

I froze and felt my throat constrict as the memories of that night flooded through my mind. I slowly turned around, ready to inspect the damage and cautiously walked back to the table, "Oh…um, I'm sorry, I…I-I didn't know…" I stumbled over my words as I set the bottle down, swallowing thickly.

Damon furrowed his brows as he looked at me and stood up, and I automatically took a step back. "Elena, what's wrong?"

He moved towards me but I held a hand up and continued stepping away from him until my back hit the fridge, "Um, no-nothing's wrong, I'm fine." I took a few deep breaths, telling myself that he wasn't Matt. Damon wouldn't hurt me. Nobody here was going to hurt me.

Ignoring the concerned look on his face, I hurried towards the sink to start the dishes just to distract myself.

"Elena…?"

I inhaled deeply a few times before steeling myself and looking over my shoulder, "Yeah?"

His brows were furrowed deeply and he stayed a respectable distance away, as if he was afraid I was going to run. I already ran; I wasn't going to do it again. Not now, not ever.

Dropping the subject, he said, "Um, never mind. Need any help?"

"If you want to." I said with a smile that felt forced. Just the fact that he looked concerned about me was proof enough that he wasn't Matt.

"I do."

I washed the dishes while he dried them, and we fell into easy conversation once again. It was almost like nothing ever happened, but I knew that he'd be wondering what that was all about sooner rather than later. I would avoid that conversation until the last second possible, too.

Damon was in the middle of telling me the story of his first prom when we finished.

"So I'm drunk, my date's dragging me out to the limo so we can get down and dirty, and I have a teacher running after us because he caught me with the flask, but we get to the limo before he can reach us and we lock the doors. And you know, the windows are tinted so he can't see inside. Well, that's the story of how I got a blowjob with a teacher unknowingly watching."

I laughed, "And what about your friend? What happened to him?"

"Oh yeah, he ended up in the bathroom puking his guts out because he was a lightweight and couldn't handle the punch. The same teacher that was chasing me found him, and Monday in school he called the both of us down and suspended us for three days."

"Wow, that sounds like the best prom ever. Definitely better than when my prom date ditched me for the toilet after some bad sushi. He got food poisoning and we ended up leaving early so I could take care of him." I laughed.

"Ah, that sucks." He said. "Your night ended in vomit while mine ended in sloppy sex in the back of a limo. I think we both know who won here."

I smirked, "Yeah. Vomit's clearly better than bad, drunk sex."

He chuckled, "Keep telling yourself that."

Catching a glimpse of the darkness seeping in through the window, I frowned, "It's already dark?"

Damon pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time, "Almost ten. I guess I should probably head out, get the kids to bed."

As much as I wanted to tell him to stay so we could keep talking, I knew that this one night of escaping reality wasn't meant to last. With my minor slip up earlier, Damon was getting suspicious and the sooner he left the sooner he'd forget about it. I walked him to the door and stepped out onto the porch with him. The only light was coming out from the windows, but it was still enough to see his face clearly.

"Thank you for coming over and cooking me an amazing dinner. You definitely didn't have to do that." I told him sincerely.

"But I wanted to. And hopefully you'll let me do it again sometime soon."

"Maybe I will." I allowed, thinking that I did enjoy the night despite everything going on in my life. Damon seemed to make me forget about my problems and I was all for a distraction. I was sure that the small amount of trust I had in him was because of the kids. He was good with them and they clearly loved him. I trusted their judgment as much as my own.

He smiled, "I'll see you later. Don't afraid to stop by just to say hi."

"I won't." I told him as I watched him walk down the few steps of my porch to his car.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Matt stared long and hard at the computer screen in front of him. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but it was the only way he was going to find her. He had to find her or else he'd never forgive himself. He needed her more than anything, even if she betrayed his trust and hurt him.

Her picture stared back at him against the white backdrop of a mug shot. It wasn't a real mug shot, since his angel had never been arrested, but it didn't take a genius to figure out the image altering program the police had access to. The top of her head just reached the 5'7" mark. She smiled back at him and though he wished he could see it in person more than anything, it severely pissed him off. How dare she look so happy after what she did? She should be afraid for her life!

He only wanted to scare her. He didn't want to get her in any real trouble because then he'd lose her forever. She just needed to learn what could happen if something like this should happen again. Without her, he had nothing.

He brought his fingers up to the screen and brushed his thumb down the long blonde locks that he loved so much. With that hair, she was the embodiment of a Hollywood model. She was so beautiful, and _his_. He would get her back, and they'd be happy.

Moving his hand to the mouse, he clicked on the text box above her picture and typed 'Wanted: Elena Gilbert, First Degree Murder.'

Maybe she didn't murder anybody, but she tried. She tried to murder the person that loves her the most. She deserved some form of punishment. That, and he knew that if she was wanted for murder then people would be more compelled to find her and turn her in. The faster he could get her home to him, the better.

He was a cop; he'd make sure that she didn't get in any real trouble. He could protect her, and he would. But first, he had to find her.

At the bottom of the poster, he typed out 'Reward: $10,000.'

If that didn't get people on the look out, then he didn't know what would.

Clicking print, he slid his desk chair over to the printer as he took a drink of the clear alcohol from his water bottle. He would start with only a few copies, handing them out to officers that didn't know who she was, then he would take them around to the bus station to see if he couldn't find somebody that recognized her.

He was willing to bet that she hadn't flown anywhere. She'd never been on an airplane before, and the time he wanted to take her on vacation to Florida she was terrified of flying so they opted to go to Myrtle Beach. Their cars were still at the house too, so he knew she didn't leave in one of those. Her bank accounts were all inactive, so he was out of luck there as well.

The bus station was the only thing he could think of. She wouldn't have enough money to call a taxi to take her all that way, and if she rented a car he would have known.

Standing abruptly, he grabbed his phone, badge, and gun and left his office. He notified one of the officers that just started about Elena, only telling him to keep an eye out for anything about her. He then went outside to his squad car, and began driving to the bus station.

When he got there, it wasn't quite deserted but it wasn't teeming with business either. There was a line of about five people waiting at the only open window, and he scowled before cutting in front of them all, including the man currently talking to the operator. He slammed the poster of Elena against the glass, ignoring the angry cries of the people behind him and asked, "Have you seen this woman?"

"Come on buddy, you've got to wait just like the rest of us!" The man behind him bitched, making Matt's short temper flare.

He dug out his badge and held it up to the window, "Can we get another window open?" The attendant signaled another man to open the window next to him, and the people behind him quieted down.

The man in front of him looked at the picture carefully, pursing his lips. He shook his head, "No, I don't think so."

Matt resisted shouting in frustration and instead asked, "Who was working here the night of May third?"

The man looked to a calendar on his desk then said, "I was, as well as one other woman. I can find her if you'd like, she's working today."

"That would be fantastic." Matt said, unscrewing the cap from his water bottle and taking a long drink of the liquid inside as the man disappeared behind a door. A few moments later he returned with a middle aged woman, though when he showed her the picture, she claimed she'd never seen her.

He stormed back outside to his car. How could they not have seen her? She had to have taken the bus, he knew it! There was no other option left! He had to be missing something, she couldn't just get away from him so easily.

He was going to track her down by whatever means necessary, even if it killed him.

* * *

"Can you believe the nerve?" Caroline asked me in a huff. We were both standing at the front counter of The Grill after working all day, and she had been speaking with a customer that was upset with what she ordered.

I shrugged, "In her defense, Care, she was allergic to gluten."

"That doesn't mean she can come in here acting all righteous and demanding that everyone complies to her gross diet! In case you haven't noticed, gluten is in everything!"

If I was ever wondering why Caroline rarely waited tables, it was because of this. She had trouble keeping her opinions to herself, especially when a customer rubbed her the wrong way.

"You know that saying the customer is always right?" I mused, nudging her with my elbow.

She scoffed, "What a load of bull! The customer is _rarely_ right!"

I rolled my eyes, "So are we going back to my place or not?"

Instantly calming down, she beamed, "Yes! I'm dying to see the floor since you painted it!"

We began walking down the pier back to the road as I said, "It looks really cool, actually. It really makes the place look brighter."

"I might have to steal that idea and paint the floor of my deck. I've been trying to figure out what to do back there for a while, and I think a nice bright ocean blue would look perfect against the yellow of the house." Caroline explained.

"Or maybe lilac." I threw in as a suggestion.

It was a beautiful day out, not a cloud in sight and the gentle roar of the ocean waves was only interrupted by the occasional seagull. I was already getting a nice tan from always being outside.

With Caroline's inane ability to keep any conversation going no matter what, we talked the entire walk to my house. It made the mile feel much shorter.

We climbed the steps to my porch and I unlocked the door to let us inside. Seeing the plastic bag on the window, I was reminded of the damage that she should probably know about.

"Oh, before I forget, that window broke."

She frowned, "Oh, I can get somebody out here to replace it, but honestly, this whole place needs everything replaced. And it would probably take a few days to replace every window."

"I don't mind, Care, I just wanted to let you know. And I was hoping to be out of here before it gets too cold anyways." I assured her.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "Because I can't ask you to live in a place that's falling apart…"

I smiled, "It's fine, I promise. But speaking of damage, there's one more thing I need to show you." She followed me to the kitchen and instantly began gushing over the floors, until I kicked away the rug and showed her the hole.

"Oh my god!" She squealed. "That's awful! I'm so sorry about that, I hope you didn't get hurt!"

"Oh, it was Damon that fell through. Actually, he was the one that broke the window too. He keeps asking me to tell him how much he owes you for the damage."

She raised a brow, "Damon, huh?"

I smirked a little, "Yeah, Damon."

Grinning, she said, "Oh my god, something happened between you two! Why else would he be in here!?"

I giggled, "First of all, he was here because the sink wasn't working and he was fixing it. That's when he broke the window when he tried to open it."

She rolled her eyes and gave me a skeptical look, "And the floor?"

I bit my lower lip and grinned, "That was from a few nights ago when he cooked me dinner."

"Damon cooked you dinner!?" She asked in shock. "Damon Salvatore!?"

I laughed, "Yes, tall, dark, and handsome Damon Salvatore."

Her eyebrows rose to her forehead and she blinked a few times, "I never thought I'd see the day that Damon turns soft. I know we've been over this before, Elena, but I've never known him to be a one woman man. It's true that ever since Stefan left and he took custody of Alex and Mia that he hasn't really pursued any women, but I didn't think he changed _that_ much…"

Not really knowing what to say, I stayed silent. I couldn't comment on Damon's past when I didn't know much about it. He's given me no reason not to trust his intentions, but I made sure not to think too much of his attention. If I was being completely honest with myself, I wasn't even sure that I was going to stay in this town forever. If Matt gets close to finding me, then I might have to leave again.

I know I said that I wasn't going to run. I didn't want to. I really liked it here. But if the relationships I was building with the members of this town cause anyone to be put in danger because of me, then I wouldn't hesitate to leave. The police would be no help; Matt was a cop. He could spin the story however he wanted. If I needed to leave to protect these people, then I would, no questions asked.

"Trust me, I'm not looking for anything serious." I promised her. "Damon and I are just friends anyway."

Caroline nodded in understanding, "Just to reiterate my point, if anything else does happen, I would advise to make sure you both are on the same page. Don't just assume you have something more, because expectations lead to disappointment, and in my experience, that's all men are good for."

I smiled sympathetically, "Trust me, I understand better than you think."

"Bad relationship?" She asked, sitting down on the couch.

I nodded and sat in the armchair, "Really bad. It's actually why I moved here."

A voice inside of my head was screaming at me not to trust her, to shut my mouth and change the topic. But I did trust her. Caroline was an honest person, maybe even too honest sometimes, but she was genuine. She cared about me, and I cared about her. Maybe I didn't quite want to confess all the dirty details, especially when it could put her in danger, but I could at least tell her a little. And who knows? Maybe she would have some helpful advice. From the sounds of it, she hasn't had any great relationships either.

"Wow, I'm sorry." She said. "But on the bright side this sleepy little town is peaceful and the perfect place to take a beat."

I smiled, "It is. I've actually found myself feeling happier here in these past couple weeks or so than I have in years. I've always wanted to live in a nice little coastal town by the beach where there's no stress or pressure."

She agreed, "That's why I love it here. It can get boring sometimes and I'll want to go to the city just to get out there and see the world, but this will always be home. It's where my family is, where my friends are…it's what I know, and what I love."

"I really hope that this place will stick. I have no plans of leaving either, so I think I'll have a good chance at finding something that makes me happy."

Changing the subject, she began, "Okay, now as your best friend I think it's time to start gossiping about men while we're on the topic. Now spill, what do you really want with Damon?"

I rolled my eyes, "Enough about Damon, what about you!? I haven't once heard you mention a man, and you're here wanting details about my nonexistent relationship with a guy I barely know?"

"Well my life is more boring than watching paint dry!" She complained. "The last time I had sex was like five months ago with a British guy named Klaus that was only passing through on his way to Canada!"

"Klaus?" I giggled at the name.

She reached over to smack my arm, "He was hot, sue me!"

"It's _so_ not an attractive name though!" I laughed. "Did he make you call him that in bed?"

She crossed her arms and glared, "He didn't make me, per se…I just did it."

I bit my lower lip in attempt to hide my grin, "I bet that was sexy. Come on, who's named Klaus?"

"Oh, shut up!" She laughed. "I was with my last boyfriend, Tyler, for five years before I caught him cheating with some redheaded whore. Sleeping with Klaus was revenge sex."

"Ugh, that sucks." I groaned. Out of all the things that Matt did to me, he never cheated. I knew that for a fact. If he hadn't wanted me so much, then I wouldn't be in this situation to begin with.

She blew out an exasperated breath, "Yeah, so that's how my life's been going lately. Now what do you say we get this girl's night on the road and cut out all boy talk?"

Thankfully, Caroline brought me one of her spare televisions since the old one that was already in the house didn't work. The only time I really watched it was before bed when I checked the news just to make sure there wasn't some kind of bounty for my return to Mystic Falls.

Caroline also brought over a bunch of movies for us to watch, and we settled on a Disney night, starting with Cinderella. I popped some popcorn, grabbed the chocolate candy, and opened the bottle of wine while Caroline started the movie.

It had been years since I had a girl's night with Bonnie like we did in high school. I wanted to call her to tell her that I was safe, but I wanted to wait a little bit longer until I was sure that Matt hadn't found me and wasn't able to. She had done more than I could ever ask of her without hesitation; the least I could do was not worry her.

Halfway through the movie, my thoughts inexplicably turned towards Mia. I wondered if she liked Disney movies or if she preferred dolls instead. She loved the color pink though, so I was sure she was a girly girl. I always loved her hair because it was so clearly done by Damon. He wasn't the best at giving her pigtails, and they were usually uneven, but she didn't seem to mind. If she was wearing a bow, then it was placed haphazardly on her head rather than strategically placed. Her outfits, while matching color-wise, often didn't coincide in any other manner. She wore skirts with pants and tank tops over short sleeved shirts. I supposed that with everything being pink, it was hard to mess up mismatched colors, so Damon was safe there. She was such a sweet little girl that melted my heart the first time I talked to her.

Then my thoughts drifted to Alex. He was tan, obviously liking to spend a lot of time outside. Sometimes on my way to work I'd see him fishing off the docks right outside of Damon's shop, so I knew that he was being watched, but I still felt nervous just letting him stand there all by himself. He could fall in and not know how to swim, or he could hit head or something. But he seemed like a smart kid, so I could understand Damon's trust in him. I swore his hair turned lighter every time I saw him from all of the sun he got.

It made me wonder what their mother was like, or even their father. From everything that Damon told me, his brother just didn't seem like the kind of guy that wanted kids. It hurt more than I expected to think that somebody wouldn't want those two precious kids. How could Stefan just enlist in the military when he had a family that was depending on him?

And furthermore, how could their mother not have wanted them? I know next to nothing about her, but I knew that if I was in her position, there would be nothing that could stand in my way of taking care of my children.

Ultimately, all of the thinking led back to Damon. I thought about him all the time, even when I didn't want to. When I could feel myself thinking that maybe going on a date with him wouldn't be so bad, those were the times that I told myself not to drag that family into my problems. Damon didn't need it, and two young kids sure as hell didn't need it. They had nothing to do with me, and I wanted it to stay that way.

But a bigger part of me was whispering what if's. What if this place becomes my permanent home? Am I just going to be lonely for the rest of my life? I refuse to give up my dreams just because of Matt. If I stay here, then I'm going to have to find someone to spend my life with…

It was all a lot to think about. I was asking myself questions that I couldn't yet answer.

With any luck, I'd have my answers soon, because despite everything that I was going through I still found myself liking Damon. _Really_ liking him.

I had a lot of issues to work through. I couldn't ask him to live with that either. I would not put my own desires before his well being, no matter how much I wanted to. It wouldn't be fair, to him, or his family, and the kids should be his priority. No matter what I wanted, the fact that I could be putting them danger wasn't going to change until I was sure that Matt wasn't looking for me.

So far everything seemed to be safe. I hadn't heard a thing from anyone since I left. I was starting to believe that I really was safe here. If I were looking for someone that fled from Virginia, I would place my bets on them going west. That was exactly why I went north. Matt would never think to look in Maine.

So maybe it wasn't such a bad thing if I let myself enjoy life for a change. If I stopped worrying and let my guard down long enough to be happy.

And if I ever caught wind that Matt found me, I'd leave. It might destroy me, but it would save everyone here, and that was the most important thing to me.

* * *

I frowned as I heard a car driving up the pathway to my house, and I stepped out onto the porch, locking the door behind me. I was just about to leave for work since my shift starts soon.

As the car rounded the corner, I spotted a familiar blue Camaro emerge from the thicket of trees. What was Damon doing here so early? I moved to the top of the steps and waited until he parked and rolled down the window.

"Get in, I'm giving you a ride to work." He said.

I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms, "This sounds like the grounds for being abducted by a serial killer. I know my mother always told me not to get in any vehicles with strangers…"

He grinned, "Just get in."

I rolled my eyes but walked around to the passenger side and climbed in, buckling my seatbelt after closing the door. As he began backing up, I asked, "So why did you decide to pick me up this morning? And how did you even know I was working?"

He waved a hand at me, "Not important. But, I'm a man on a mission today."

"Oh yeah?" I chuckled.

He nodded, "Yes ma'am."

"And what mission is that?" I asked, biting back a laugh. "Get me all alone so you can take me into the woods and kill me?"

He blew out a laugh before turning to look me in the eyes, "I'm here to ask you out on a date."

My heart leapt into my throat at his words and I was left speechless. Red alarms were going off in my brain telling me to get the hell out of there while I still had a chance, but I was frozen. I couldn't move from my seat, and my heart didn't want me to.

"And what would we do on this date?" I heard myself ask, as if I was legitimately considering it. Wasn't I though? Wasn't I seriously thinking about pursuing a romantic relationship with Damon? I didn't have to let it get serious if I didn't want it to. We could just mess around, and there would be no hard feelings. When all was said and done, we could just be friends.

Right?

He was looking at me carefully, as if he was wondering if my answer would depend on what would happen during our date. The corner of my mouth twitched up into a smirk against my will, and I knew that my answer would be yes no matter what he said. I really liked him, and from what I could tell, he liked me too. I deserved some happiness, and I didn't want to put it off any longer.

As soon as he noticed my expression, a wide smirk spread across his lips and he said, "I was thinking I could take you into town and show you around Bar Harbor. I don't think you've officially been on a tour yet, and I happen to know all the best places to go."

"A tour of the town, huh?" I raised a brow. "Certainly sounds like it could be fun. What are you gonna do to really make it memorable?"

"Well that's a surprise, Elena." He said with an eye roll. I had a feeling he had no clue what that surprise was going to be.

He stopped the car just outside of The Grill and I said, "Okay, I'll go on a date with you." My stomach flipped excitedly as the words came out of my mouth.

He grinned, "When does your shift end?"

"Four."

"I'll pick you up then. We can go back to your place so you can change, and then we'll go."

I threw open the door as I smiled, "See you then."

I watched his car disappear over the hill and behind the trees as I walked backwards towards The Grill. Caroline was at the front desk, one of her thin eyebrows arched high in the air.

"Did I just see you get out of Damon's car? You totally boned him, didn't you!?"

I giggled, "No, Care, I didn't. He showed up at my house this morning to give me a ride to work and ask me out on a date."

She gasped, "Nuh uh! What did you say!?"

"Yes. He's picking me up after work today." I confessed with a smile.

She grinned, "So _that's_ why he wanted to know when your shift started today…" I frowned and she explained, "He called me last night and asked. I think he really likes you, Elena."

Since a customer was waiting patiently for her attention, she didn't wait for my response. I smiled to myself and tied an apron around my waist, softly mumbling, "I think I really like him too."


	9. Chapter 9

Here's another chapter today! Make sure you read about Caroline and Elena's girl's night in chapter 8 first!

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

Damon showed up at The Grill at promptly four o'clock, just like he said he would. He looked like downright sin in his gray t-shirt, dark washed jeans, and black motorcycle boots. I was fairly certain that he wore those tight fitting shirts just to torture me.

I was damaged, not blind.

He was leaning his hip against the side of his car, his arms crossed over his chest, causing his muscles to bulge and stretch the thin fabric. Damn him. He was standing there looking like a god while I had my hair up in a messy ponytail, my light blue work polo had some kind of stain on it from god knows what, and a light sheen of sweat made my clothes stick to my body. It really sucked working in a restaurant with a hot kitchen and no air conditioning in the dead of summer.

"Hey." I said with a smile when I was close enough for him to hear me without shouting.

"How was work?" He asked, pushing himself off of the car and unfolding his arms. My eyes followed every movement his muscles made, too.

"Hot." I laughed. "I need to take a quick shower before changing."

"Then let's go, shall we?" He opened the passenger door for me and I got in, thanking him as I did so. As soon as the car turned on I started blasting the air conditioning, thankful that a car as old as this even had air conditioning. It was so humid today, which just made my skin feel gross and sticky.

When we got to my house, I invited Damon inside and told him to help himself to anything in the fridge. I recently bought an air conditioner that you put in the window, so my house was nice and cool. Or at least my bedroom was. What with the hole in the floor and the broken window, I decided that the most efficient place to put it was in my bedroom. Besides, that was where I spent most of my time anyways.

I pinned up my hair and took a quick cold shower, just to wash my body and cool down. I dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a dark, dusky pink tank top with lace around the high neckline then pinned up half of my hair and let the rest fall down around my shoulders in loose curls.

I returned to Damon and found him looking at a painting on the wall that I recently hung up. It was a painting of the ocean with a lighthouse that I picked up for cheap at a yard sale.

"Ready to go?" I asked, grabbing his attention.

He nodded, "Yeah, let's go. Wear comfortable shoes because we're going to be walking."

I slid my feet into some sandals and we went back out to his car. He drove us into town right where I normally go for groceries and parked his car. I hadn't ventured any further than this for the sole reason of not wanting to get lost.

This small coastal town exuded charm down to every last building. If they weren't made of old looking bricks, they were adorable little craftsman style houses converted into shops and offices, all lined up next to each other. Signposts hung off the front, identifying each place, and shiny black lampposts with hanging flower baskets lined the streets.

Damon and I walked down the sidewalks taking in all the sights while talking and laughing without a care in the world. Occasionally his hand would brush against mine, and then when he worked up the nerve he grabbed my hand and our fingers interlocked.

I didn't question it. His hand felt so warm and worn in mine, like they had years of experience built into them both in physical work and the emotional kind that was making my heart flip flop in my chest like a fish out of water. Every time I'd glance at his face, I'd catch him smiling, and that in turn made me smile. He had such a stunning smile. It was one of those ones that make a person's entire face light up, and in that moment, it was the only thing that made me forget about all of my problems.

"I didn't know there was a pottery studio in town." I said, looking into the window to see all of the glazed pottery for sale.

Damon nodded, "Yeah, it's a popular place for kid's birthday parties. What's more fun to a bunch of ten year olds than throwing around clay?"

"Inhaling cake and ice cream?" I quipped. "My favorite part of birthdays was always the presents."

He rolled his eyes, "Unsurprising. I bet you were _that_ kid that had to have a corner piece of cake with a big frosting flower on top, right?"

I giggled, "Only if the frosting was the whipped cream kind! I hate buttercream, it's all grainy and bitter and gross."

"What about cream cheese frosting? That's my favorite."

"Ooh, that's a good one." I agreed. "On red velvet cake, especially."

"And ganache." Damon added thoughtfully.

"Definitely one of the best kinds. I like it on vanilla cake, otherwise it's just too much chocolate."

He shook his head, "Nah, you've got it all wrong! You have to put ganache on devil's food cake, and then eat it with chocolate ice cream!"

I grimaced, "That's like diabetes on a cheap paper plate!"

He laughed, "And it was worth every sugar crash I got."

I rolled my eyes just as we came to what looked like a town square, complete with a fountain in the center and tall trees providing shade for the grassy areas and benches. Flower planters were dotted throughout the area with bright purple, pink, and yellow flowers. I always wondered how they kept them alive; whatever the opposite of a green thumb was is was what I had.

Damon led me to the middle of the square and began, "This fountain is where my senior prom pictures were taken, courtesy of my mother. It was an hour of pure torture between her loving to take an endless amount of them and my date bitching about how she didn't look good in the pictures."

"She sounds like a winner." I joked.

He smirked, "I only asked her to prom for the sex."

I stifled a laugh, "Expected, yet still disturbing."

He chuckled then pointed to a tree, "Under that tree was where a dog ate my ice cream when I was six. Cried until my mom bought me another."

I grinned up at him, "With your need to get everything you want, I wouldn't expect anything less."

"I have a need to get everything I want, do I?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

I raised a brow, "You showed up unexpectedly at my house this morning just to ask me out. Did you ever consider that I would say no?"

"The thought crossed my mind, once or twice, but in the end I figured you'd have to be insane to say no to someone as devilishly handsome as me." He winked at me, and I laughed lightly.

"See? A need to get what you want. If I had said no, you wouldn't have given up. I might have bruised your ego, but you would have kept asking me until finally I said yes and gave you a pity date." I teased lightly.

"A pity date?" Damon scoffed. "Damon Salvatore doesn't go on pity dates."

I smiled in amusement, "Okay, then hypothetically, if I had said no, what would you have done?"

"I would have seduced you until you said yes." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I grinned smugly, " And that yes would have been out of pity to make you shut up. Told you so."

He rolled his eyes, "So I like to get what I want. Is that really a bad thing?"

Thoughts of how long I went without getting a single damn thing I wanted swirled around my head and I swallowed thickly. "No, not at all. I actually like that about you. You're not afraid to chase happiness."

"Spoken like someone who knows what they're talking about." He said softly, looking into my eyes as if searching for the meaning behind my words.

I gave him a small shrug and left it at that. Damon was the absolute last person that could find out about my past. He'd never want me in his life or his kids' lives then.

He noticed that it was a subject I didn't want to talk about and he thankfully didn't pressure me into it. Instead, as we rounded another street corner he pointed towards an alley, "Right there is where I got arrested for the third time." I looked at him with wide eyes and he laughed, "Kidding, it was only the second!"

"For what!?" I laughed.

He rolled his eyes a little, "I was out past curfew and _slightly_ drunk, but if you ask anyone else they'd say I was wasted. The first time I was arrested, or rather taken into the police station, was when I was sixteen and got caught with some pot while walking home from a party."

"So I'm on a date with a drunken pothead? Good to know…" I said playfully.

He grinned, "If I were you, I'd turn around right now and run as fast as I could away from me."

I shook my head and as we approached a small shop, I convinced Damon to go inside with me. We had stopped in a few different shops just to look around, and I was also on the lookout for some things to decorate my house with to make it feel not so unlived in.

The shop was a cute little coastal store where everything was made locally. There were beautiful sea glass and driftwood chandeliers, nautical themed artwork, and even some furniture, but I was drawn to a jewelry display case with necklaces, earrings, and rings made with sea glass. I spotted one necklace in particular that I loved. It was a silver chain with a small silver lotus flower and a piece of light blue-green sea glass.

I was shifting the charms between my fingers when Damon suddenly appeared behind me, "Do you like that necklace?"

I nodded, "In Buddhism, the lotus flower represents patience, purity, love and compassion, rising out of suffering, and just a general rebirth. It's my favorite flower."

"And the sea glass?"

I looked up at him over my shoulder, "Well that's just a piece of Maine. You know I'd never been to the state before I moved here."

"Then why did you move here?"

I hesitated a moment before saying, "A change. I got on a bus headed for anywhere but my hometown. I got off when it felt right and never got back on."

"Any regrets?" He asked, clearly asking about himself.

I smiled softly, "Only that I didn't do it sooner."

My breath caught in my throat as his hand came to rest on my hip and he moved even closer behind me. I could feel his chest occasionally brush against my shoulder blade when he breathed, and any thought other than how insanely attractive he was fled my mind faster than I could blink. My gaze dropped to his lips and I swallowed thickly before looking away. I settled on inspecting the necklace once more.

His hand reached out to lift it from it's spot and he undid the clasp. Try as I might, my voice just didn't seem to be able to work as he swept my hair away from my neck and put it on me. His fingertips lingered on my skin and I eyed our reflection in the mirror to see what it looked like on.

It looked stunning against my tanned olive skin, but my vision wasn't focused on it so much as the breathtakingly amazing man behind me. He softly said, "You look beautiful, Elena. Let me buy it for you."

I quickly turned to face him, an argument already rolling out, "No, Damon, I can't ask you to do that."

He smirked, "Then it's a good thing you didn't ask."

Before I could argue further, he was telling the store worker that he was buying the necklace and handing them a credit card. A wave of discomfort swept through me that reminded me of all the expensive things Matt used to buy me. I hated feeling so objectified like that. I never liked any of the things he bought me because they were so clearly for himself. They never matched my tastes, and they always showcased my body and squeezed me in all the right places like some kind of sausage. Because that's all I was to him, wasn't I? A piece of meat to dress up and make more attractive?

I knew that wasn't what Damon was doing. He wanted to buy me the necklace because he knew I wanted it, which was completely different. Damon would never use the fact that he spent money on me to make me feel guilty, and he wouldn't buy me lavish gifts for the sole purpose of making me look like a Playboy model. The necklace wasn't that expensive to start with either, so I begrudgingly let it slide.

But not before making sure he understood something.

As we walked out of the shop, once again hand in hand, I said, "Thank you for the necklace Damon, but please don't buy me gifts without having an actual reason. It's just not necessary."

"Who said I didn't have a reason?"

I gave him a disapproving look, "I'm serious about this. I don't like getting gifts all the time."

He looked at me curiously, probably realizing that I was being serious and not just telling him not to buy me stuff so I didn't seem greedy. Then he agreed, "Okay, I won't buy you any gifts. Holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries don't count though. And neither does dinner. If we ever have dinner, I'm not letting you pay so you better get used to it."

I smiled a little, "I think I can allow that. Just nothing too expensive."

"Deal." He flared his eyes at me and moved his arm around my shoulders, leaving our hands linked together.

We continued walking through the town until we grew hungry, and Damon treated me to dinner at a small café with an outdoor patio that had hanging lights twinkling above it on a balcony. I couldn't remember a time when I had been shown so much romance, and this was our first date. We shared some wine and chocolate cake for dessert, though much to my surprise Damon confessed that our date wasn't over yet.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked with a small laugh as he pulled me off of the sidewalk towards a thicket of woods with a trail running through it. It was at the edge of town where the buildings abruptly stopped and houses began lining the streets, but they were much more separated.

"To the surprise I promised this morning. There's a secret lookout point up here that I want to show you. We can watch the sunset."

"Damon, there's no point. The sky is cloudy. We can't even see the sun!" I argued as he helped me up the steep wooden stairs towards the top of the hill.

"You don't know that, it could clear up." He insisted just as got to the top.

"It's been cloudy all day!" I laughed, following him to where the trees cleared to make way for a grassy patch and a fence blocking off the fall from the cliff.

The view was still spectacular despite the clouds. It looked out over the small town and the ocean was visible in the background, even with the waning light. A few boats dotted the water, and birds flew above them, riding the warm air currents. A lighthouse shined its beacon out into the water a long distance away, and where there weren't buildings or beaches there were lush green trees.

"It's beautiful, Damon…" I mused. "Virginia didn't have any views like this."

"I got lucky to grow up in a place like this. I'm glad that Mia and Alex get to be here too. Everyone spends their days outside on the water where it's easy to let go of your problems and just live in the moment."

I leaned over the fence and said, "This town is kind of like my clean slate, you know? No problems, no worries. I just wanted to start over."

"It's a good place for new beginnings." He agreed. "Cleansing for the soul, and all that." He joked.

I laughed lightly, "It is. I've—" I cut myself off when a large raindrop landed on my cheek.

We both looked up to the sky just in time for the clouds to open up and buckets of rain to start falling. It was cold against my skin, and drenched us instantly. I laughed loudly as Damon cursed the weather, and he began pulling me back down the steps to take cover. The trees provided some shelter, but it was raining so hard the leaves didn't stand a chance at shielding us. It was rapidly growing too dark to see, but luckily there were solar powered light posts placed along the path.

We were both laughing hysterically and dripping wet when we finally reached the closest building, which happened to be a gas station. My sides were in stitches and the only reason I made it to shelter was because Damon was dragging me by the hand. The kind woman working behind the counter let Damon use the phone to call a friend to pick us up while we dried off with paper towels as best we could, which wasn't very good at all. Luckily I hadn't worn any makeup, so it wasn't dripping down my face, but my hair was probably a mess and I felt a little like a drowned rat.

After he got off the phone, Damon told me that we wouldn't be picked up for at least half an hour, and since the rain didn't seem to be letting up any time soon, we sat down in the small restaurant area in the gas station.

"I told you we weren't going to see the sunset." I said, drying my hair with a napkin from the dispenser at the table.

Damon shook his head and smiled, "You're never gonna let me live this down, are you?"

"Absolutely not." I giggled. "You deserve to be knocked down a peg or two on that mile high pedestal you keep yourself on."

He rolled his eyes playfully then asked, "I'm gonna get a cup of coffee. You want anything?"

"I'll have some tea, whatever they have, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all. Any sugar or honey in your tea?"

"Three sugars please."

A few minutes later he sat back down across from me and handed me a styrofoam cup of tea. I watched him dump two creams and one sugar in it before stirring it with the coffee stirrer.

"I half expected you to drink it black." I thought aloud.

He glanced up at me with a smirk, "I do, but only real coffee. This instant crap is barely tolerable even with cream and sugar." I sipped on my hot tea and he asked, "How do you take your coffee? Mostly cream? You look like a woman that likes it sweeter than sugar."

I laughed, "Lucky guess. Lots of french vanilla creamer with just as much sugar and whipped cream. I want to feel myself getting cavities."

"How many cavities have you had in your life?" He asked with an amused grin.

"Four or five?" I answered, unsure of the answer.

He chuckled, "Figures. I hated the dentist growing up because of my first cavity. My mom had to literally drag me kicking and screaming into the office every six months until I was ten. Not even the promise of buying me a toy afterwards was enough incentive not to make a scene."

"I was that way with school. My mom actually had to homeschool me until first grade because I flat out refused to go. She could yell at me, threaten to take away all of my toys, and even make me eat only vegetables, but it never worked. She was a stay at home mom so it wasn't like she had anything else to do anyways." I shared.

"My mom owned the shop even when I was growing up. It's kept us afloat for years since my dad, whoever he was, wasn't in the picture." He said a bit sadly.

I smiled sympathetically, "I can't say I know what it's like. My dad was a doctor. He owned his own practice in my hometown so we never had money issues. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's why my mom could afford not to work and stay at home with me all the time."

I surprisingly felt comfortable sharing those details with him, though it wasn't like they were anything significant that could give away my real reasons for coming here. I trusted Damon just as I trusted Caroline. They were both genuine people, as far as I could tell, and it would be shocking if they ever ended up being someone different. I had a feeling this whole town was like that. What you see is what you get, and after learning the hard way that that's not always the case, it was a breath of fresh air.

"So a stay at home mom and a doctor dad. Any other family members? Siblings?"

I shook my head, "Nope. I was an only child. My parents struggled to conceive me, so I was their miracle. They never got lucky again. And I have an aunt on my mom's side and an uncle on my dad's. No cousins or grandparents though."

He nodded in understanding, "My mom was an only child too, so no aunts or uncles. I do have distant family in Italy though."

"Really? I have distant family in Bulgaria." I said excitedly.

"Bulgaria, huh?" He considered. "Can't say I've ever met someone who's Bulgarian. Italians, on the other hand, are as common as dirt."

I laughed, "But can you cook well enough to uphold your roots?"

He looked at me incredulously, "I think we both know I can cook a damn good meal."

"Fine, you can cook well." I allowed. "But how about baking?"

He cringed, "Not my thing. Definitely my mom's forte. The last time I tried to bake something I accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder and the whole thing turned out awful."

"Not the same thing." I laughed.

"Learned that the hard way." He chuckled. "That was the last time I tried baking."

"Not even cookies?"

"Only the premade kind that you just have to throw in the oven for ten minutes."

"Pitiful." I giggled. "My mother would roll in her grave if she knew I was even speaking to someone that bought premade cookies."

He didn't laugh like I had expected him to, and then it dawned on me that he didn't know about my parents. I suddenly regretted saying that, but it's been so long that it just comes naturally to me. It doesn't hurt to talk about anymore, and their memory will always live on in my heart.

"Your mom passed away?" He asked softly.

I nodded slowly, "Yeah. Her and my father. It was a long time ago when I was in high school. They lost control of their car and it went off a bridge. They both drowned."

"Oh my god…" He breathed. "That's awful."

I reached out to take his hand, almost as if I was trying to comfort him for something that never happened to him. "It was, but like I said, I've had a lot of time to move on. I can talk about them now without breaking down."

Rubbing his thumb against the back of my hand, he asked, "You were only in high school? What did you do after?"

"I moved in with my best friend and her family until I left for college since I'd known them since birth. I sold my father's practice and the house since I knew I was never going to use either again. I lived in an apartment all throughout college."

I left out the part where I shared that apartment with Matt. With any luck, I'd never have to say that bastard's name out loud again.

"So then you came here?" Damon asked.

I nodded, "More or less. Add a few years after college and here I am."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty five."

"My brother's twenty five."

"Were you two close growing up?"

He smirked a little, "Up until high school. I was one of the popular guys while he turned into a smarty pants."

I laughed lightly, "I was a cheerleader in high school. And before you ask, no, I don't still have the uniform. They belonged to the school and I had to give it back when I graduated."

"Damn your ability to predict my less than innocent thoughts." He playfully scowled.

We stood up to throw out our drinks and wandered back into the gas station shop while we waited. Walking up and down the aisles, we looked at all of the food and random items. I picked up a bag of chips that I thought were discontinued years ago, intent on showing Damon, but when I turned to him he was wearing a pair of sunglasses that made him look like Ozzy Osbourne and he was doing his best impression of the singer, calling out 'Sharon!'

I threw my head back and laughed loudly, then grabbed a pair of aviator shades and a fedora. I was terrible at impressions, which was made painfully obvious at my pathetic attempt at acting like a mobster. Damon couldn't even look at me he was laughing so hard, and it got to the point where he had to confiscate both things just to make me stop.

Then we found mood rings, and of course I grabbed one to check my mood. Damon rolled his eyes, "You know those things just react to your body heat, right?"

I pinned him with a glare, "You're ruining the magic."

"Magic…" He scoffed.

I raised a brow, "According to this ring, I'm feeling normal."

"Normal? That's the best mood they could come up with!?" He laughed, making me scowl and throw the ring back.

"If anything, that means you have to work harder on this date to change my mood."

He raised a brow playfully, "You mean like heat your body up a few degrees? I can think of all kinds of activities to get your blood pumping and the temperature rising…"

In the next moment he lunged for me, too fast for me to react, and he wrapped his arms tightly around me and began tickling my sides. Laughter bubbled up instantly, and I begged him to stop as I squirmed in his arms. Finally when I broke free, I sprinted to the end of the aisle and swung around so it was between us, assuring that he wouldn't be able to get me as I caught my breath.

"Wanna check your mood again?" He teased. "Because I can guarantee you that you're having a good time, and I don't need some phony ring to tell me that."

I narrowed my eyes, "Oh, suck it, Salvatore."

Catching a glimpse at what was in this aisle, a horrified look crossed my face as I picked up some hideous sculpture of a mariachi band made out of clams. They even had googly eyes glued on.

I showed it to Damon, "Oh sweet Jesus, what level of hell did this thing crawl up from?"

"One of the local crafters, no doubt." Damon scrunched up his nose at the thing.

I placed it back down and said, "Well it's truly terrifying. So _not_ the souvenir I'd want to bring home from Maine."

Suddenly, red and blue lights began flashing in through the window and I felt myself go numb. I stumbled back a few steps, already looking for the fastest exit to get out of there, when Damon pushed open the door and yelled, "Hey Liz! We'll be out in a second!"

My hands began shaking as I looked out the window with wide eyes, trying to figure out what was going on. Damon approached me with a small frown and grabbed my hand, "It's just Liz, she's here to pick us up. I figured if anyone would be out driving in this storm it was the sheriff."

He's friends with the sheriff? Oh god, of course he was! As he led me outside, I forced myself to relax so not to seem suspicious and I prayed that she didn't know anything. I clung to Damon's arm tighter than what he probably thought was normal, hoping that if worse came to worse he'd protect me as we climbed into the backseat of the car. A metal cage separated the front and backseats, and when Damon asked why I was shaking I told him I was just cold.

He asked Liz to turn the heat on, and I cursed myself because I was already burning up, and now it was just going to get hotter.

Maybe this really was my ride to hell.

As the sheriff began driving, Damon said, "Thanks for picking us up, Liz."

She smiled into the rearview mirror, "No problem Damon. And you must be Elena?" I nodded hesitantly and forced a smile. "It's about time I met the girl Caroline's been calling her best friend."

I frowned and looked at Damon, who explained, "Caroline's her daughter. You didn't know?"

I shook my head, "No, I guess it never came up." I swallowed thickly and forced out the words, "It's nice to meet you too, Sheriff."

She waved me off, "Please, call me Liz." I nodded my understanding and she continued, "I have to say, Damon, it's been a long time since I've had you in the back of my car."

He laughed, "When was the last time? When you caught me spray painting buildings in the alley and passing around a joint with some friends and dropped me off at Mom's door with a warning?"

She smiled, "She didn't find it as funny as you do now."

I was content with listening to their conversation the entire ride back to my house, though I knew I wouldn't be able to relax until I was out of that car. At least Liz seemed to be clueless. It had stopped raining on the way and we had dried off considerably, but it was now completely dark out since it was getting late. My nerves were slowly easing the closer we got to my place. I couldn't believe that I had unknowingly befriended the sheriff's daughter, of all people. It would probably be best if I avoided her at all costs. Anything could happen, and the less she knows about me the better.

A few minutes later she pulled up outside of my house and Damon gave me a hand out of the car. As soon as I was outside I took a deep breath and felt the rest of the anxiety dissipate. I was safe. She didn't know who I was. She wasn't going to arrest me or bring me back to _him_.

Damon and I stood between the car and my front porch as I waited for him to say goodnight, however that would be. Liz was waiting in the car, so he _would_ be going home, even if a small part of me wanted him to stay. He ran a hand through my hair and when his fingers caught on a knot he smiled lopsidedly, "The rain tangled your hair."

I shrugged, "It was tangled before, you just didn't know it."

He brought his other hand up to cup my face, "It's beautiful either way."

My hands lifted to his hips as he leaned in to kiss me, but before he could he pulled back and glanced at Liz who was watching us in the side mirror. He smirked at her knowingly then pulled me behind a tree where she couldn't see us, pressing my back against the rough bark.

His lips were on mine before I even knew what was happening. It took me a moment to respond, and I wrapped my arms around his neck while his hands rested on my hips. Our lips moved together, gently prying at each other's mouths as we melted into the other. His tongue licked my lower lip and I opened my mouth for him to explore. As soon as our tongues touched he let out a soft groan and took a step forward to press his hips into mine and draw our bodies closer together.

He tasted like coffee and heaven, and it was slowly driving me mad. I threaded my fingers through his hair to hold him closer and his hand slid down to the back of my thigh, hooking my leg around his hips. Then he lifted me up completely, and with the way every inch of our bodies was pressed together, I was sure I'd died and gone to heaven.

Knowing that we were getting a little carried away, I bit down on his lower lip as I pulled away, and he dropped is forehead to mine. We were both breathing heavily, still holding onto each other like our lives depended on it, when I realized that if I let him, he'd take me inside and to bed right now. That look in his eyes told tales of such sinfully erotic thoughts and intentions that it made me seriously consider it, too.

But we couldn't do that tonight. We had a hell of a first kiss, but I couldn't jump into something this fast. And we both knew I wasn't ready.

He pressed another searing kiss to my lips, lingering for a short moment before smiling at me, "I'll see you later, Elena." He gently lowered me to the ground, giving me this adorable dopey smile, and I felt my heart do somersaults in my chest.

I smiled giddily as I walked towards my house, looking back over my shoulder to catch one last glimpse of him before I went inside.

Suddenly none of this felt like it was too soon. Yes, I was damaged, maybe even beyond repair, but I wasn't so broken that I believed any of the things that Matt told me. My emotions were still healing from my past, but they also knew exactly what they wanted in the present without any distorted judgment.

And they wanted Damon.


	10. Chapter 10

Here's another chapter! Scarlett2112 recently recommended this fic on one of her updates and I'm so honored. Everyone please go check out her stories! She has a ton and most if not all are complete aside from the ones she regularly updates!

Sidenote, as of Tuesday I will be out of the country on vacation. I really want to get this entire story posted before then, so expect multiple chapters a day from here on out.

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

I sat down at a vacant table at The Grill with my sandwich to eat lunch while on my break. I started work at seven this morning and it was now one, so I was starving. But at least I got off at three so I had the evening to myself.

Or maybe not to myself, I thought as images of Damon's lips on mine flashed through my head. I hid a smile as I took a bite of my sandwich. Last night was definitely something else, something I hoped would repeat sometime soon.

However, I was not fortunate enough to get to eat my lunch in peace with only my fantasies about last night to think about. Caroline plopped down in the chair across from me with a knowing smile, one that made me narrow my eyes at her.

"What's that look for?" I asked.

She smirked, "Nothing. Just heard a funny story."

"About what?" I asked hesitantly, taking another bite.

She shrugged innocently, "Not much. Just two adults that acted like a couple of love-struck teenagers by making out against a tree."

My eyes went wide, "Caroline! How did you—"

"My mom's the sheriff, Elena!" She rolled her eyes. "What is wrong with you!? Why didn't you tell me the second you saw me this morning!?"

I giggled, "I had tables to serve, Care. Believe it or not, you are actually my boss, and I didn't think you'd like to receive complaints about bad service while we gossiped about a guy."

She huffed, "True as that may be, I still think I deserved to hear it from you rather than my mom."

"And how did you want me to tell you? Show up at your house in the middle of the night hoping on the off chance that you'll be awake or home?"

She scowled, "You seriously need to get a phone so you can text me."

I knew it probably seemed weird that I didn't have a cell phone, or any phone, so I told Caroline that I lost my phone while moving up here and haven't gotten around to getting a new one. I didn't really have an excuse not to get another phone, other than the money. I'd get one eventually, when I decided to start a new plan under a fake name. Yeah, I was sure that would go over well, what with the legality of faking my identity and all.

"Well for now you're just going to have to get the juicy gossip from your mom." I said teasingly.

She rolled her eyes, "Um, my mom can't tell me if the kiss was good or not."

"Neither am I." I pointed out. "That's between Damon and I."

She smirked, "That means it was good. So what happened after you kissed?"

I laughed a little, "Nothing. We made out, then he left."

"He didn't try for more?" She asked in disbelief.

"Nope." I confirmed. "He said he'd see me soon, and that was that."

She shook her head, "I don't think I'll ever understand why he's so different with you. Don't get me wrong though, it's a good thing. It's sweet how he's actually making an effort with you. I really think you two are going to last. I mean, not only are you both hot as hell, but you actually like each other. Damon's a hard guy to like."

"No he's not." I rolled my eyes. "He's just not for everyone."

"Same thing." She made a face and waved her hand in the air. "And you're no bucket of sunshine either. I mean, look at you with your…um…dammit, why do you have to be so perfect?"

I laughed, "I'm not perfect, Care. Trust me."

"Oh whatever, everyone has to say that." She said and left it at that. As I continued eating, we fell into a short moment of silence until Caroline blurted out, "So, did you get to meet 'little Damon' yet?"

"Caroline Forbes!" I screeched, feeling my cheeks turn pink.

She smirked, "Fair warning, 'little Damon' is not so little, so I've heard." I buried my face in my hands and she continued, "Did you at least feel it while making out?"

"Oh my god!" I groaned. My face was never going to _not_ be red again! Just so she would stop asking questions, I said quietly, "No, I did not do anything that involved that! I can't believe you're making me talk about this!"

She giggled, "Don't be such a prude, I mean, it's not like you're a virgin, right?"

I gave her an unimpressed look, "Of course not, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to walk around telling everyone about my sexual experiences!"

"And that is where the two of us differ." She smirked. "Besides, it's not like I tell these things to strangers. It's you, of course I'm gonna give you more details than you'd ever want."

"Lucky me." I deadpanned, putting the last bite of my sandwich in my mouth.

"So when are you seeing him again?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I was a little too distracted to ask for details about our next date."

"Yeah you were." She said lewdly, wiggling her brows.

I giggled then said, "I was thinking of stopping by his shop today since I need to pick up a few things and I was hoping to see him there."

"This time, make sure you fill me in on all the details! As your best friend, it's my job to know everything that way if things go bad I'll be able to help."

I smirked and stood up, gathering my trash, "I'll be sure to give you a complete annotated essay."

She grinned, "I'll expect it on my doorstep by ten o'clock tomorrow morning!"

I rolled my eyes as I threw the garbage away then went back to work. The last hour and a half of my day breezed by, and I even got a thirty dollar tip from an older couple. It was a good day, and I was in a good mood for the first time in years. I felt like I was walking on clouds, happier than I've ever been all thanks to one amazingly sexual kiss. Damon was making me feel things I don't think I've ever felt, and as much as it scared me, it thrilled me even more.

After my shift, I headed home to change out of my work clothes before heading over to the store. When I walked inside, Lily was at the counter reading a book. She smiled widely when she saw me, "Elena, sweetheart, it's good to see you!"

"Hi, Lily." I smiled back at her, casually glancing around the shop to see if I could spot Damon.

"Damon told me about your date last night." She said knowingly, a smirk much like her son's on her lips.

"Oh, he did?" I wasn't really sure what to say, but I certainly hoped he hadn't gone into the details like Caroline did.

She hummed, "Mhm. It's about time that boy finds a nice girl to get serious with."

I smiled to myself at her words despite the daunting idea of being serious with him. I didn't want what we were doing to be a fling, but I didn't have the right to ask him to get serious with me when the kind of baggage I come with is potentially life-threatening. Ignoring the way my heart pounded out of fear, I said sincerely, "I really like him too." As I picked up the few things I needed, I asked, "So where are Mia and Alex today?"

"Down at the docks." She added, "With Damon, because I know that's why you're really here."

I smiled guiltily, not even bothering to deny it, "Thanks."

She chuckled, "Leave your stuff here and go down there. You can pick it up on the way home."

Before I could argue, she grabbed my bag and set it behind the counter, and who was I to deny her? Instead I just thanked her and headed outside to look for Damon and the kids. True to Lily's word, I spotted them at the end of the dock. I wasn't sure how I had missed them before, but then again I was kind of preoccupied with wondering what Damon was going to do when he saw me. Would he kiss me again? I certainly hoped so, but I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. We'd be in public rather than right outside my house, not to mention in front of his family.

Damon was helping Alex fish off the end of the pier while Mia sat on a blanket with what looked like some dolls. I took a moment to stand there and appreciate the sight in front of me. They may not be a conventional family, but they were a family, and that was something that I hadn't had in a long time. It was something I still wanted, desperately, and here was Damon, presenting me with an open opportunity to have it.

I've wanted to have kids all of my life. I'd love to have a big family someday, with a husband that loves me unconditionally and children that are perfectly imperfect. In my perfect world, I'd still have my parents here to meet their first grandchild, and I'd already be married to the man that would worship me like a queen and love me through everything.

But this wasn't a perfect world, and I was beginning to realize that maybe not all of my dreams were attainable, at least not in the exact way I wanted them to be. So maybe I wasn't married to the right guy yet, and maybe I didn't have my parents anymore, but I had Damon, and his niece and nephew, and Caroline and even Lily.

As I watched Damon interact with the two kids he practically fathered, I allowed myself the dangerous thoughts of what I would look like with them. How it would look for me to be by Damon's side with a ring on my finger and our niece and nephew enjoying their day outside.

I stopped those thoughts almost as quickly as I permitted them, then reminded myself I was getting way ahead of our relationship. Damon and I had shared one steamy kiss, and been on one date. It was far too early to be dreaming about any of that, despite the rapidly growing feelings I had for him. The sincerity of my feelings could be questioned given my past. Was I just projecting myself onto the first guy that was nice to me? Did I really like Damon or did I like that he treated me like a human being? Did I want a relationship with him or was I just seeking some sense of normalcy by throwing myself into another relationship so soon after my last one?

As I pondered those questions, I knew without a doubt that I liked Damon because of him, not for any other reason. I'd had multiple guys hit on me at work, and even a couple coworkers tried to make a pass, but I shut them down every time. Damon got past my defenses though, and he did it during the first time we met when I watched him interact with Mia. He held her with such care and regarded her with so much love and respect.

It proved that he wasn't capable of hurting me like Matt did. Any man that would let me into his children's lives earned a chance in my book, and Damon more than proved himself trustworthy.

Just because I felt raw inside didn't mean I was incapable of feeling. I just guarded my heart a little closer and placed my trust more carefully.

If I learned anything from Matt, it was that I shouldn't just sit there and take things. If I wanted something, I needed to go after it for my own sanity.

Mia was the first one to see me, and as soon as she did she squealed my name and began running towards me. Damon's head shot up at the sound and he sent me a stunning smile just as Mia wrapped her arms around my legs.

"Elena, Elena, you're here!" She beamed, her thick brown hair in pigtails and her smile gapped and wide.

I picked her up and balanced her on my hip, saying, "Hi, Mia. What are you doing out here?"

"Uncle Damon and Alex are fishing, but not me 'cause fish are yucky. They smell bad."

"They do smell bad, don't they?" I said, scrunching up my nose. Damon started waving me over so I began walking towards him as Mia started talking about her dolls. I set her down on the blanket with a promise of joining her in a moment, and Damon left Alex to fish alone for a few minutes to meet me.

The first thing he did was cup my face and pull me in for a kiss. I smiled against his lips and placed my hands on his chest, feeling his hard muscles ripple beneath my fingers. When we separated, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

I shrugged, "Just stopping by after work. I had to get a few things at the store so your mom is holding them for a while."

"Well I'm glad you decided to stop by." He smirked, kissing me again.

"Uncle Damon!" Alex shouted, and we separated to see him trying to reel in a fish. Damon immediately went to his side to begin helping him pull it in, and I took the opportunity to sit down with Mia.

The two of us watched them work for a minute until finally a fish about a foot long emerged from the water and began flopping around. Mia squealed that it was gross and slimy while Alex argued that it was a fish, that was how it was supposed to be.

Damon took a few pictures of him holding up the fish, and then he helped him unhook it and throw it back in the water. Mia returned to playing with her dolls and as I watched Damon put some more bait on the hook for Alex, she asked me, "Is Uncle Damon your boyfriend?"

She asked loud enough that Damon heard her, and I glanced over at him just in time to meet his smirking gaze. I blushed slightly and looked back to Mia, then said, "I don't know, sweetie, but I hope he will be one day."

Another glance at Damon showed his smile as he explained something to Alex about being careful with using the right lures.

"And then you'll be my aunt?" She asked.

I shrugged, "Maybe. It just depends on if your uncle and I decide we want to be with each other."

She nodded thoughtfully then said, "I think you should be his girlfriend, because I don't have any aunts, and I want one."

I smiled softly, "I'll keep that in mind."

My eyes once again met Damon's and he winked at me, making me blush even harder. I quickly looked away though I couldn't hide my smile as I listened to Mia's instructions so we could play dolls.

A little while later Alex asked Damon, "Can we check the trap now?"

Damon motioned towards where there was a rope tied to a post of the pier and said, "Yeah, let's go see if we got anything good."

Alex, bouncing on his heels from excitement, asked, "If we catch a crab, can we eat it? What if we get a lobster? Can we eat it too?"

That then triggered Mia's response, "No, you can't eat him!" She abandoned her dolls and hurried over as Damon began reeling in the crab trap. "He's a animal and he's alive just like us! You can't kill him!"

Alex argued back, "But how do you think we get crab and lobster from the store? Just like this, but someone else kills them."

"No!" She screamed, on the verge of tears. "Uncle Damon, don't let him kill them!" She cried.

Since Damon had his hands full with pulling up the trap, I hurried over to Mia and picked her up just before her tears started. She buried her face in my neck and sobbed heavily while I rubbed her back and attempted to soothe her fears.

"Shh, Mia, we won't let them die. We'll throw them back in the ocean and they'll go back to their lives, okay?"

"But—" Alex started to argue, but a firm look from both me and Damon made him stop. He sighed dramatically then said, "Mia, we won't kill them."

She sniffled and rubbed her eyes, then looked down at him, "Promise?"

Damon spoke up, closing the couple feet between us to kiss her cheek, "Promise, baby girl. Now let's see what we caught."

I crouched down and set Mia on her feet, but held her close between my bent knees when she backed away from the metal trap that Damon hauled onto the dock. Several brown, crawly creatures were inside of it and Alex shouted, "Whoa, cool!"

Damon opened up the top to get inside, and he carefully picked up a crab so it wouldn't pinch him with its claws. Mia backed up even further into me to get away from it, but her eyes were glued to all of the animals. He started throwing them into a cooler, and after helping Alex pick up the only lobster, they emptied the other three crabs into the box.

He then looked to Mia and said, "See Mia, we got them all right in here, and later we'll go throw them back down at the beach where I told you they all live, alright?"

She nodded, albeit hesitantly, then slowly walked towards the cooler to look inside. Her little nose scrunched up and she said, "They're icky, Uncle Damon."

He chuckled, "Yeah, they're not very cute, huh?"

"Mm-mm!" She shook her head, then when Damon closed the top she returned to her blanket and sat down

Damon asked me quietly so Mia wouldn't here, "Can you watch them? I'm going to take this inside to cook up later."

"Won't Mia know?" I frowned.

He rolled his eyes, "She does this every time we go fishing. By dinner, she doesn't even realize they're the same crabs and lobsters."

I laughed softly and nodded, then he walked back towards the shop.

Alex asked me, "Elena, can you help me put a worm on the hook?"

"Um…" I hesitated, having never fished before in my life. How hard could it be? "Yeah, sure."

I wasn't squeamish about worms. When I was little, I'd always save them from drying up on the driveway after it rained. In high school I had to dissect one in biology. I could handle worms. But getting it on a hook while it's wiggling and squirming? That was a different story.

As I picked up one of the worms, Alex began explaining, "Damon doesn't let me do it myself because he thinks I'm going to stab myself with the hook. You have to be careful, because it has a barb that stops anything from getting off of the hook."

I tried to wrestle the worm on the hook so it wouldn't come off, but it was proving harder than I expected it to be. I must have dropped it three times before finally skewering it, except in the process I ended up poking my own finger and slicing it open.

I cringed and shook my hand, "Ow!" Alex laughed. He _laughed_ while I started bleeding, and I narrowed my eyes, "What are you laughing at, mister?" He giggled again and I smiled, "Can you go find Damon and ask him to bring a first aid kit?"

"Yeah, I'll be right back." He said, taking off in a run for the shop.

"Are you okay, Elena?" Mia asked quietly.

Realizing she looked a little scared, I smiled encouragingly, "I'm fine, sweetie, just a little cut. Nothing a bandage won't fix in a few days."

"Okay." She said, seemingly pacified.

My finger was slowly bleeding all over my hands since I didn't have anything to press against the cut, which made it look a lot worse than it really was. Alex came running back towards me, the door flying open behind him, and Damon was following him. He started off walking, but when he saw my bloodied hands he started running.

"Elena? Oh my god, what happened? How bad is it? Do you need stitches?" He rambled, the first aid kit in one hand.

He grabbed my hands before I could argue and started inspecting them as I said, "No, Damon, I'm fine. It's just a small cut that bled a lot." I showed him the small slice on my left middle finger and he sighed in relief, "That little thing caused all of this blood?"

I smiled, "Unfortunately."

He grabbed a water bottle that had been sitting on the pier and opened it up, pulling me over to the edge so he could rinse off all the blood into the ocean. Then he grabbed some antiseptic and poured that over the cut, and I cringed when it started stinging.

Damon smirked at me, "Cut yourself open with a fishing hook and the disinfectant hurts worse."

I playfully glared at him, "The hook didn't sting, _doctor_."

He winked then wrapped a Band-Aid around my finger, "All set. Now, promise me you won't ever try to hook a worm again?"

I yanked my hand away from him and huffed, "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Before I could get too far away, his arm shot out and wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against him. My hands went to his chest and our noses were practically touching as he huskily whispered, "Does the doctor get a reward for healing his patient?"

I smirked to myself then replied, "I think Dr. Salvatore is very deserving of a reward…" We both leaned into the kiss and when our lips touched, it ignited my body. I had to consciously remind myself that two young children were right next to us and using tongue wasn't appropriate, as much as I wished it was.

Damon placed a few more quick kisses on my lips before he let me go, and I took my seat on the blanket with Mia who smiled up at me.

"When I get hurt, Uncle Damon or Grandma kisses it all better. Did Uncle Damon's kiss make it better?"

I laughed to myself, "Yeah, it did. Doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Not even a little?"

"Nope. Your Uncle kissed it all the way better."

"But he didn't kiss your finger, just your lips!" She argued, laughing.

Suddenly my hand was being lifted from my lap and Damon was bringing my injured finger to his lips to kiss it, "There, now it's all better." He sat down next to me and wrapped my arm around his shoulders as Mia giggled happily. He turned to me and asked, "You wanna join us for dinner?"

"I was actually just planning on eating leftovers…"

He looked at me disapprovingly, "So you're choosing eating leftovers alone over a home cooked seafood meal with all of us?"

"Please, Elena!" Mia begged.

How could I say no to them?

"Okay, I'll stay." I relented, earning a cheer from Mia.

She resumed playing with her dolls then and Alex was patiently waiting for a fish to bite, leaving Damon and I to ourselves. I ran my hand through the hair at the base of his neck, surprised to find that I liked his hair longer like this. I always though short hair on a guy was better, but I couldn't imagine him with short hair. It just wouldn't look right.

He leaned in to kiss me softly and my eyes fluttered shut. I brought my other hand to rest on his cheek, the just barely there stubble scraping against my fingers. His kisses were drugging, and so easy to get lost in. I could sit there all day attached to him at the lips, and I wouldn't have a single regret.

It was so obvious that we both wanted more, but it was unattainable at the moment, so I pulled away and tried my best to focus on the kids. However, Damon seemed to have other ideas as his lips trailed from mine to my cheek, jaw, ear, and neck. If he was trying to kill me by turning me on, it was working. His soft little butterfly kisses along with his whispered words of desire in my ear had me struggling to catch my breath.

Damn him for being so sexy and irresistible.

I whispered to him, "Unless you plan on taking me to a bedroom, I suggest you stop doing that."

He nipped my ear as a soft growl left his lips, "Don't tempt me."

Not much later, the four of us were returning to the shop where we went to the back room with Lily which was really more of a sunroom with the large screened windows. A deck that extended over the water was attached to it, and out there was a grill and a table. A small kitchen was in the sunroom where Damon and his mom prepared the food while I watched the kids.

Just like Damon promised, Mia hadn't thought a thing about the cooked crabs and lobster. Along with the seafood, there were mashed potatoes that tasted like heaven, and corn on the cob that was so buttered up I was considering going to the doctor to have my cholesterol tested.

It was all delicious.

Only after eating and helping them clean up, did I finally manage to convince Damon to let me head home. But it wasn't without numerous kisses that did nothing but weaken my resolve to leave.


	11. Chapter 11

This is the second chapter today, so make sure you read ten before this one!

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

This was the first breakthrough Matt had yet. For the past few weeks, he'd been failing miserably in tracking down Elena, until now. He'd exhausted every possible option he had, and he came up blank. He had spent any hour of the night he wasn't passed out drunk wondering what he was missing. She knew how to fly under his radar, but he hadn't thought he taught her that well. She had to have made one mistake.

He just found it. He sat in the plush leather chair in his office, staring at the computer screen like he had been for the past hour. He even got a cup of coffee and downed an entire water bottle to make sure he was sober enough to be sure he was looking at her.

Her hair was back to the dull color it had been in high school, and it was shorter now as it spilled out of the sides of the gray hood of her sweatshirt. After spending countless hours of the day and night skimming surveillance tapes of every possible place she could have gone, he _finally_ found her. She was on a bus headed for Quebec.

He knew she didn't have her passport with her. He found it in their house still along with her phone. So she wasn't out of the United States, and she went north. That narrowed the search down considerably.

Unfortunately, when he called about the bus head to Quebec, the man had explained that it was a tour bus that stopped in just about every major city and small coastal tourist town on the east coast before crossing the border. She could be anywhere from Maryland to Maine.

But now he had a picture of her getting on a bus, and it was clear that she had changed her appearance. That was why he wasn't getting anywhere trying to find her.

Running a hand over his tired face, he took a swig from his 'water' bottle and opened the window with her mug shot. Using the program to alter her appearance, he turned her long blonde hair to chestnut brown and chopped it off to just below her breasts. When he was satisfied with the new image in front of him, he clicked save then forwarded it to every police station from Mystic Falls to northern Maine.

He'd get her eventually. This had to be the key to getting her back. He loved her, and he needed her. She gave him a reason to live. She needed him too, or else she'd be a nobody. He pushed her to do things out of her comfort zone, sometimes things she didn't like. But everything he did for her was for them. She was a founding family member, and if he wanted to live up to her social expectations then he had to prove to everyone that he knew how to treat her. That he could pamper her with fine gifts and jewelry so her friends wouldn't think she was with some poor nobody.

That's who he was in high school. A nobody. But now, he was a highly ranked police officer that had some actual power in this town. He could live up to its standards and treat Elena like the wealthy founding family member she was.

The only problem now was that she wasn't there. As the days went by, he realized that he wasn't as mad at her as he thought. He didn't care what she did so long as she returned to him. A punishment was still in order, but he could live with it being minor. He just wanted her back. She was the best thing to ever happen to him, and without her, he was back to being a nobody. She was his key into a high social status. He'd never live in poverty again if she was by his side.

Not like when he was a kid. His mother was barely around and as soon as he could take care of himself she left for god knows where and he hadn't seen her since. His older sister Vicki was a drugged up loser all of her life, and when she died of an overdose a few years back he couldn't say he was upset about it. She had it coming.

He lived for so long just trying to make ends meet. Living paycheck to paycheck was miserable. He'd rather be in a grave next to his sister than do that again.

Elena kept him sane. She encouraged him to go to work everyday and make money to provide for her. She quit her job because he asked her to, because there was no way in hell he'd ever let his woman make more money than him. She was needed more at the house anyway.

He never realized just how much work she did to keep the place clean. It had only been a few weeks, but it looked like a bunch of pigs lived there now. He needed her back home to clean it.

He just needed her, and the fact that she left after everything made him both furious and disappointed.

But if she came back to him, he might be willing to forgive her for everything and go back to the way things were.

* * *

I was just walking home from work when I spotted Damon, Mia, and Alex loading things into his car in front of their shop. It was sweltering outside today, so Caroline let me go at lunch since business was slow.

Deciding to stop by to say hi, I started walking towards them instead of my house like I had planned. Alex waved to me and I waved back, then once Mia saw me she came barreling towards me while screaming my name. Damon smiled at me just as she collided into my legs, and I returned it before kneeling down to hug her. We closed the distance between us and the car and I asked, "Going somewhere today?"

Damon was loading a cooler into the car along with towels, and upon closer inspection I realized he was wearing black swim trunks with his t-shirt and Alex was wearing a bright green and black pair. Mia had on a pink bathing suit with princesses on the front and shorts. She looked up at me and nodded, "We're going to the beach! Do you wanna go with us!? Can she come Uncle Damon, please?"

Like he'd actually say no, I thought with a smirk. Not only could he not get enough of me, but when an adorable little girl was begging you, it was impossible.

He held his hand out for me and I took it, letting him pull me into his side, "If she wants to, she can."

"I'd love to, but I don't have a swimsuit." I said before greeting Damon with a kiss. These past few days have felt like some kind of romance from a book. Damon visited me at work a few times, usually with the kids, and I've gone to the shop to hang out with them there when I get the chance. They've taken up so much of my time that I hardly have a second to think about the reason I ran in the first place.

Alex suggested, "There's a store down the road that sells swimsuits and stuff like that. Maybe we could go there?"

"Yeah, that sounds good, if you don't mind stopping there."

Damon whispered in my ear, "Or you could wear nothing at all…"

I raised a brow at him, then I winked, "Maybe after the kids go to bed."

He groaned quietly, "You are killing me, Elena."

I giggled and kissed him quickly just as Mia threw in the last beach ball. I strapped her into her booster seat in the car and Alex buckled his seatbelt as Damon got into the front. I now understood just how hard to was to drive around with kids in a vintage Camaro, although with the convertible top down it was much easier to reach back there.

We stopped at the clothing store and Mia helped me pick out a lilac colored bikini with a black hem outlining the edges. Then I decided to buy a beach cover up and picked out a white lacy one. After changing in the bathroom, I met Damon and Alex back at the car with Mia tagging along at my side. I swore I caught Damon trying to get a view of my swimsuit, but the cover up wasn't as see through as I'm sure he would have liked.

We haven't taken that step in our relationship yet. Everything has just been lots of kissing and the occasional ass grab on his part. I had a feeling that once we did though, he would become insatiable. I was barely able to keep up with all the affection he wanted to give me now, but I wasn't complaining.

I'd never thought of myself as the attention-loving type. I was always perfectly content with just holding hands in public, and I didn't need to cuddle with anyone to sleep. But when I was with Damon, I found myself craving his kisses and touches like nothing else. I wanted to touch him, and feel him, and taste him, and let him invade my senses until he was all I could think about.

I wasn't hesitating to have sex with him. Sure, it would make things more serious, but that wasn't the problem. There really wasn't a problem, actually, we just hadn't gotten the chance to do that yet. I wanted to, god I wanted to, and hopefully soon we would.

Damon drove us down to the beach, and thankfully not many people were there. I had expected it to be packed on a day as hot as today, but he explained that since he was a local, he knew all of the good spots to go. Personally, I thought it was just luck. Half the time Damon's full of shit; he just likes to think he's god's gift to this earth.

I grabbed a beach bag from the trunk along with a blanket and the towels while Damon carried the cooler. Mia and Alex were several yards ahead of us, too excited to swim to wait. Damon said, "I'm glad you could make it. I was going to ask you but then I remembered you saying you had to work until three."

"Business was slow so I got the rest of the day off." I explained. "I'm happy about it, too."

We found a good place to set up camp in the soft sand and I spread out the blanket that could easily fit us all on it. Damon set down the cooler on the corner of it, then he set up two camping chairs I hadn't seen slung over his shoulder before.

The kids were halfway to the ocean when I yelled out, "Sunscreen!"

They both stopped and begrudgingly came back. Damon smiled at me, "You're good at this. I would have forgotten sunscreen until they were already drenched."

I shrugged, "My father made me wear it religiously because he knew exactly what extra sun exposure could do to you. It's ingrained into my head, even if he exaggerated most of the time."

He laughed as I dug out the spray can of sunscreen and Alex stood still and held out his arms as I sprayed him. Mia was a little squirmier since she was itching to get into the water, so I ended up having to spray it in my hands and rub it on her arms and face.

As they again sprinted for the water, I asked Damon, "Are you sure they're good out there without us?"

"They've been swimming since before they could walk, Elena. Besides, we're right here."

I huffed a little at his nonchalance, "Okay, fine."

He grabbed the sunscreen from me and smirked, "Your turn."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Admit it, you just want to see me half naked."

"Okay, I admit it. I want to see you half naked and oiled up in sunscreen."

Rolling my eyes, I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed him, "You're an animal."

"Just wait until I get you between the sheets. Then you'll see just how much of an animal I can be." He wiggled his brows and I playfully smacked his chest before stepping away so I could take off my cover up.

As soon as it hit the ground Damon's eyes were glued to my body, namely, my chest with the necklace he bought me hanging between my breasts. I giggled and he shook his head, tearing his gaze away to look at my face.

"Alright, arms out." He commanded.

I dutifully held them out and scrunched up my face as he sprayed me, then I turned around so he could do my back. When it was his turn, I did my fair share of ogling his bare chest, except I decided to push his buttons just a little bit more. I prayed one large spot in the center of his chest until it dripped down to his abs, and he looked at me incredulously.

Until I set the sunscreen down on the cooler and began rubbing my hands all over his muscular chest. I spread it around evenly while he watched every miniscule movement. My hands slid down to his abs, coating every dip and curve of his amazingly well sculpted body. When my fingers teased his dark happy trail, I smirked up at him and met his dark, lust filled eyes. My fingers grazed the waistband of his trunks and I leaned up to kiss him softly, "Now your back."

He shook his head, "Hell no, you little minx. One more scene like that and this family beach day is going to end a lot more like a porno."

I rolled my eyes and he sprayed sunscreen on his arms before making me promise not to do that again so I could do his back. When we were both covered in the stuff, we walked hand in hand down to the water where Mia and Alex were playing. Alex was out in the water chest deep, ducking beneath the waves and Mia was sitting in the wet sand, digging a hole or a trench or something only to have the waves wash it away a few seconds later.

The second the warm water washed over my feet, I was wading further and further out while Damon watched from the shore with Mia. I caught up to Alex just in time for a big wave to crash into us, sending him flying back into me. We both laughed as I caught him before swimming further out.

The four of us spent hours alternating between swimming in the ocean, building sandcastles, eating the snacks that Damon packed, and playing with the beach ball and Frisbee. I had sand in places I've never had sand before, and the saltwater had successfully burned my nose when some accidentally went up there. With the sandcastle tower shaped bucket, we packed in wet sand and carefully formed a huge castle with tall towers and a moat that Alex filled with water.

If Damon wasn't taking pictures or joining in on the fun, he was touching me or kissing me until I saw stars. While Mia and Alex had been working on another sandcastle, Damon pulled me out into the water until we were chest deep and gently swaying as the waves washed to shore. I had my legs wrapped around his waist as he held me close, stealing kisses and teasing touches that wouldn't have been appropriate had they been above the water where people could see.

We then returned to the blanket and dried off a bit before Damon dug out a glass jar from the bag for collecting sea glass, shells, and whatever else we found on the beach that we wanted to keep.

Mia and Alex stayed several yards ahead of us at most times as they scanned the beach for anything good. Damon and I stayed back so we could have our own conversation while they had their fun.

He began, "How are you so good with Mia and Alex? They both love you, yet we've known you less than a month."

"I've always loved kids, Damon. I used to dream of having three or four kids of my own some day. I guess I just admire their ability to be so carefree. I mean, look at them. They're running around, having the time of their lives picking up tiny broken seashells and bits of glass. Meanwhile I'm over here worrying about them stepping on something sharp, or a wave coming and knocking them over underwater, or even one of them tripping and falling."

"So you want a big family?"

I nodded, "I don't really have any family left, and nothing is more rewarding than family. I was very close to my parents, and they valued family more than anything. They were so proud of me and their town, and they were so involved with everything. I just really want to build my own family like they did."

He held off on his reply when Alex came running over with a handful of shells and glass and dumped them into the jar Damon was holding. Once he was back with Mia, Damon said, "I like how much you value family. My family is everything to me."

"And I really like that about you. I'd never purposely do anything to jeopardize that, I just want you to know."

He gave me a funny look, "Um, okay…?" He laughed a little, clearly not thinking that there was something about me that could hurt his family. If he knew the truth I doubted he'd be so understanding.

But I was safe now. Matt couldn't find me, or else he would have already. I had to move on from what happened, and learn how to enjoy life again. Damon was doing a fantastic job at that, and I couldn't be more thankful to have found him and his family.

Mia suddenly began squealing excitedly and pointing at something on the ground, so we hurried over to see what it was. A little brown shell was scurrying across the sand and Damon chuckled, scooping it up into his hands, "It's just a hermit crab, Mia. Look." He picked it up by the shell and the creature curled up inside until you could only see it's legs.

"Can I hold it Damon?" Alex asked, holding out his hands.

Damon placed the hermit crab in his hands and he carefully inspected it while Mia explained, "I was picking up the shells, but then that one started moving!" She walked over to me and grabbed one of my hands, dumping all of the little shells and glass she collected in it before she started looking for more. I deposited the small handful in the jar as Damon showed Alex where to release the crab, then we started walking again.

Damon randomly asked, "So if you have a degree in business and marketing, why are you working at The Grill?"

I shrugged, "It's temporary until I get a little more settled here. It's not exactly easy to find a job using a corporate degree when the town you chose to live in doesn't have a single major business."

"They have satellite offices out here, and with all the tourist attractions, I'm sure they could use someone who knows marketing to bring in even more business."

"Maybe." I said softly. "Honestly, it doesn't matter to me what kind of job I have as long as I make enough money to support myself."

I got lucky when right out of college I scored that amazing job where I made twice as much as your average person, but I gave it up to save a relationship that I should have left years before. I was so stupid back then, but I truly believed that Matt was my soulmate and I would have done anything for him.

Now, I'd do anything to keep him away from me and those I care about.

"So you'd just let your degree go to waste?" He asked, surprisingly with no judgment in his tone.

"Money isn't everything. I grew up surrounded by the richest people in my town, and I saw firsthand how it destroyed some of them. The mayor turned corrupt, the local news anchor got involved with blackmailing people with gambling debt to get them to do his dirty work with creating stories. So if you have money it's nice, but it isn't everything." I explained.

"Then why did you choose business and marketing as a major?" He asked curiously.

"Because I saw a lot of success potential." I answered simply. "There will always be a market for business, and I didn't want to worry about never finding a job."

"So you didn't love it." Damon stated, rather than asked.

I shook my head and smiled, "Can anyone really love all that boring crap?"

"Then what do you love to do?"

I opened my mouth to respond, only to find that I had no idea what I liked to do these days. The past eight or so years of my life were completely occupied by my relationship. They held no room for free time to explore my interests, between school, work, and Matt. My life was empty and I hadn't even realized it until I left it all behind.

"I don't know." I sighed. "I'll let you know when I figure it out."

He kissed my temple, his arm going around my shoulders and mine looping around his waist. It was amazing how accepting he was of me no matter what. Or maybe that was what a normal relationship was supposed to be like. Unconditional love and acceptance. That definitely wasn't what I had with Matt.

We only walked for a little while longer before calling Mia and Alex back so we could head out. The setting sun turned the sky brilliant shades of orange, yellow, red, and pink. The sight was unlike anything I'd ever seen before, yet the three of them didn't seem to pay it much attention as if it was something they'd seen everyday. Well, Mia and Alex barely spared the view a second glance. Damon's eyes were focused on something else. Or rather, _someone_ else. He was staring at me with a look of wonder and adoration that made my heart beat against my chest and my stomach flip in excitement.

"You're beautiful, Elena." He said softly. "You know that, right?"

I smiled more to myself than anyone else. To hear that I was beautiful from a man that looked like he literally just walked out of an art museum displaying gorgeous marble sculptures was something else.

"Thank you." I practically whispered, just before Mia and Alex demanded our attention.

I handed Alex the jar of shells and sea glass and he began flipping it over in his hands to look at everything while Mia tugged on Damon's arm until he found her blanket tucked away in the bag.

Damon and I carried everything else back to the car, and after getting it all packed into the trunk and securing the kids in the back, we headed out. On the short ride back to town, both Mia and Alex had fallen asleep so Damon said he was going to stop by their house first to put them to bed.

His house was small and simple, nothing out of the ordinary. It had cream colored siding with wooden trim around the doors and windows and a brownish gray roof. A large tree with a wooden swing was in the front yard, and a fenced in backyard contained a swing set. The front porch had bicycles and toys on it, and beautiful flowers adorned every mulched flower bed. I suspected Damon's mother was responsible for them, though it wouldn't surprise me if he was the one that took care of them. He always seemed to be surprising me.

He parked the car and picked up Alex to take him inside while I got Mia. She barely even stirred as I lifted her into my arms and she snuggled into the crook of my neck. Damon led me inside, and the first room was the living room. It all looked very homey and well lived in. In the back left corner was the kitchen that was open to the living room, and to the right of the room was a hallway that Damon began walking towards. He showed me Mia's room and he disappeared behind another door, probably Alex's room.

I laid Mia down on her princess themed bed and tucked her, and her eyes fluttered open. "Elena?" She whispered.

"Go back to sleep, sweetie, you're at home now."

I leaned down to kiss her forehead, but she grabbed on to my hand and said, "Wait, my night light."

I found the device pretty easily plugged into the wall and I flipped it on, returning to her side, "Ready for bed now?" She nodded and cuddled up to her stuffed dolphin and I kissed her forehead, "Goodnight, Mia. I'll see you again soon."

"Night-night, Elena…" She said sleepily, and I stood up and turned to the door. Damon was standing there watching us with a smile on his face, and he stepped back into the hall to let me out.

"Do you want to say goodnight?" I asked him quietly before I closed the door.

He shook his head, "You already said goodnight, and she's probably already asleep." I closed the door behind me and Damon asked, "Ready to go?"

"What about the kids?" I asked, glancing towards their rooms over my shoulder.

"My mom is in the study working on her art or sewing or whatever she does here. She lives next door, so I can ask her to stay here until I get back."

I nodded and he poked his head into a closed door, and I heard Lily's muffled voice along with Damon's before he closed it again and we went back out to his car. The ride was mostly spent in silence while our hands remained intertwined between us. As Damon's thumb gently rubbed circles on the back of my hand, I couldn't remember a time when I had felt so wanted and desired in my life.

My feelings for Damon were bigger than I ever imagined they could be. He saw me as who I was, not who he wanted me to be. He allowed me to be myself while actually encouraging it rather than punishing me for it. He looked at me like I'd always wanted a man to look at me; not with pure lust, but with respect. Affection, and respect, and only when it was right did he look at me with lust, but even then I could always sense his emotions bubbling just beneath the surface, ready to spill over and drown me in them.

And I wanted to drown in them.

When Damon slowed to a stop outside of my house and turned the engine off, we both sat there for a moment, not wanting the night to end just yet.

"Caroline had the floor fixed." I said casually. "…Do you want to come in and see it?"

He turned to look at me, as if considering what exactly my intent behind the words was.

"Yeah, okay." The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile that I instantly returned, and we both got out of his car. I walked around to his side and slid my hand into his outstretched one.

We walked up the steps and silently went inside. Though there was enough moonlight spilling in through the windows not to need any lights to see, I still moved to turn on the light so we could see the floor. However, Damon's hand on top of mine stilled me before I got the chance.

I felt his body come up behind mine, and his other hand wrapped around my waist, holding me in place. Bringing our joined hands away from the switch, he slowly spun me around and began backing me further into the house with his hands on my hips and his eyes daring mine to look away. Forget the floor; I doubted he even remembered that was why I invited him in.

Only a few steps later, I felt my butt hit the edge of the counter and Damon continued moving towards me until our bodies were pressed together and our faces were only inches away from touching. Bringing one of his hands up to my face, he slowly pushed a chunk of my wavy, salt-ridden hair behind my ear, forcing my eyes to remain on his.

Storms of emotions were brewing beneath the icy blue surface of his eyes. They told stories of an unfamiliar need too strong to ignore and uninhibited passion that ached to be released. The air between us crackled with such tender care and patient desire that it shocked me to my core. Never had I imagined that Damon was capable of transforming his playfully sexual remarks into slow and serious movements.

He again pushed the same section of hair behind my ear, more for the action of touching me than actually moving my hair back. My hands were locked together around his waist as our eyes did all of the talking for us.

He dropped his forehead to mine and slowly leaned in closer as he threaded his fingers through my hair to gently hold my head in place. My eyes fluttered shut, except his lips didn't meet mine. With his other arm around my lower back, he pulled me against him and buried his face in my neck, placing slow, soft kisses wherever his lips touched. I tilted my head to the side and brought my arms around his neck, my fingers diving into his messy hair.

Whenever his lips kissed my skin, my body shuddered and my breath quickened. He moved from my neck, to my jaw, and to my cheek, devoting his attention to every inch of my skin.

His lips finally landed on mine, gently prodding and moving against mine until I opened my mouth for his tongue to enter. He angled my head to kiss me deeper and I pulled at the neck of his shirt, wanting to feel his bare skin against mine. He pulled back only to throw it over his head, and then his lips were pulled back to mine like a magnet. As my hands roamed his muscular back, he picked me up and my legs went around his waist. He slowly carried me through my house and into my bedroom, kicking the door closed behind him.

He set me down on the floor only to strip the cover up over my head and throw it away from us. Then he had me in his arms again, and he was lowering me onto my bed. Our tongues tangled together as our wandering hands slowly stripped each other of our clothes until we were wearing nothing but the pure white sheets wrapped around us.

I sat in his lap, wrapped around him like a second skin, as we took the time to truly explore each other's mouths and bodies. He was all muscle from head to toe, covered in smooth, flawless, pale skin that tasted like saltwater and something that was just Damon. His chest had a light dusting of barely noticeable hair in the center, but his delicious happy trail was much darker just like the hair on his head. His lean body felt wonderfully hard against mine, but he held me so tenderly that his velvety skin felt softer than clouds.

His hands explored from my thighs to my upper back, not wanting to leave any skin untouched. His skillful hands began at my thighs, slowly stroking me up and down until they moved to my hips, tracing the curves of my waist until I was quivering with need. Then they reached my bare breasts, gently cupping them and squeezing as our mouths moved together in perfect sync. His thumbs grazed my nipples, then gently pinched them and I gasped into his mouth.

Deciding to do some exploring of my own, I moved my hands from his shoulders down his chest, slowly feeling the same hollows and hills that I had earlier today. His hands moved from my breasts down my stomach, dipping dangerously low and I silently prayed that they were finally going to relieve the ache that had been present since the second I laid eyes on him.

He gently flipped me onto the bed beneath him, my hair fanning out over the pillow and his body covering mine. I felt his rather large length fall against my stomach, and I spread my legs as wide as they would go to accommodate his body. With as much care as he felt for me, he slowly pushed inside of me. The way he filled me so perfectly elicited feelings that I had never felt before, and my mouth fell open as a soft moan escaped. He nipped at my pulse point, still easing himself all the way in as his mouth coaxed my body into melting under his touch.

Once he was in me, he didn't stay still long. Slowly and torturously, he made love to my body in every way he knew how. His hips rocked into mine, slowly building me up to the edge. His mouth alternated between nibbling at my ears, neck, jaw, and lips, surely leaving small love bruises here and there. If his arms weren't braced on the bed to give himself leverage, his hands were touching any part of me he could reach—intertwining his fingers with mine, pinning my hands to the bed, causing goosebumps to erupt across my skin when his fingertips lightly trailed up my sides. His warm chest was pressed against my breasts, the friction causing my nipples to harden.

We both tumbled over the edge together, our cries blending together and our bodies shaking with pleasure as we lost ourselves in each other's embraces.

A few moments later, Damon rolled off of me and pulled me into his arms. I nestled my head against his chest and our legs tangled together. No words were needed, and no explanation was in order. The man lying beneath me, lulling me towards sleep with his soft caresses and a whisper of a kiss against my forehead was all I needed.


	12. Chapter 12

This chapter will finally answer many of your questions regarding Alex and Mia. The truth comes out with some sweet Delena moments mixed in :)

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

"Mm…Damon…" I moaned softly in response to the neck kisses that woke me up this morning. Glancing at the clock, I said, "I have to be at work in half an hour."

He pulled back and pouted at me, "Can't you just call off for the day?"

I slightly rolled my eyes, "As much as I'd love to have a repeat performance of last night and drag it out all day today, I kind of need to work to get money."

" _But money isn't everything…_ " He mocked against my lips.

"Well in this case, it's the only thing keeping me fed right now." I said back. Against my advice, he spread my legs beneath the sheets and positioned himself between them. "Damon, I'm serious, I need to get ready for work."

He silenced my protests with a kiss then smirked, "I can be fast…last night was nothing compared to what I have in store in for you."

I laughed huskily and he softly growled into my neck, pretending to bite me. I giggled even more then wrapped my arms around his neck, "Fine, but you better get me to work on time."

He winked at me then again dropped his head to my neck and positioned himself at my entrance. We slept like the dead last night, wrapped up in each other with the sheets lazily draped across us. This morning Damon had woken up first, though I was sure we were still in each other's arms until then.

I was excited to get to explore this side of our relationship. The sexual side that I knew would be explosive. I just hadn't counted on it blowing my mind. I had no idea that sex could be like that, that it could make you feel so in tune with your partner and elicit feelings that can only be expressed by using the term 'making love.' Before Damon, I had never understood that. Sex was just sex. But now, I got it. And I didn't think I'd ever want to go back to emotionless sex.

In one easy thrust, Damon seated himself inside of me completely and I breathed his name at the connection. This time was different than last night. This time, Damon picked up the pace until he was pounding into me, yet never once did it feel emotionless like it was nothing but fucking. This time, we were smiling at each other and playfully nipping the other's skin wherever we could reach.

I giggled as Damon flipped us over so I was on top. It was a position I hadn't been in in years, if ever, but with Damon watching me bounce on top of him with nothing but complete and utter adoration, it was impossible to feel self conscious. I felt more confident than I had in my entire life, actually.

I swiveled my hips in circles around his when I felt my release growing closer, and his huskily said words of encouragement urged me over the edge. My body tensed and my toes curled, and I cried out pleas to god for what felt like hours until I collapsed on top of him. He kissed the top of my head and I could hear the smirk in his voice, "I'm not finished with you yet, baby."

Before I knew what was happening, I was on my back and he was working me towards another orgasm.

"You said you were a cheerleader in high school?" Damon asked randomly.

I furrowed my brows, my body bouncing as he thrust into me, "Ohhh…Yeah, why?"

He smirked, flaring his eyes, "Let's see just how flexible you really are…"

He grabbed my leg and threw it over his shoulder, and I bent comfortably enough for him to penetrate me even deeper than he had before. I threw my head back into the pillow and moaned, and then he began pounding into me once more.

With his fast pace, it didn't take much longer before I felt the beginnings of my second release building up. I dug my nails into his shoulder blades and he reached between us to rub his finger against my magic button, and I instantly fell apart, pulling him with me. His thrusting slowed down as he emptied himself inside of me, and my body took him for everything he had as I contracted around him.

Letting my leg fall back down from his shoulder, he flopped down on the bed next to me. I glanced at the clock, "Great, now I only have ten minutes to get to work."

I quickly moved to get out of bed, but his arms around my waist held me in place, "Just five more minutes…"

I smiled but moved his hands away from me, "Nice try, but no. Get up so you can drive me since you insisted on keeping me in bed so late."

He once again pouted at me but I ignored him and dressed in the first bra and panties I could find, which didn't match. None of my underwear matched since the kind that does is so expensive. I threw on my work uniform, khaki shorts and a yellow polo, then I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and throw my hair up in a ponytail since there was no way it was getting washed before work. It was still stiff from the saltwater yesterday, but it'd have to do.

By the time I returned to the living room, Damon was putting on his discarded shirt that was on the kitchen floor. I felt my cheeks flush at the memory, but he just chuckled at my reaction.

When I got to work, it was ten minutes past the time I was supposed to so start, and I gave Damon a disapproving look. He just winked at me and placed his hand on the back of my neck to pull me in for a kiss.

Then I hopped out of the car, and practically skipped up the boardwalk to the restaurant because I was so happy. A loud wolf whistle made me look over my shoulder, and Damon was sitting there in his Camaro with this wicked grin on his face, something that was filled with so much desire and happiness that it made me feel all sorts of delirious. I winked at him then he drove away, and when I got to the counter Caroline was staring at me with a mixture of shock and amusement.

"Well you're certainly glowing today." She commented knowingly.

I shrugged innocently, "I may have had a little…time, to take care of myself last night. And this morning."

She smirked, "Honey, you definitely weren't the one responsible for that glow. I'm even going to pretend you were on time today because it's about time you two hooked up."

I couldn't even be embarrassed about the subject anymore. "Thank you, and I promise it won't happen again. Damon is just very…convincing."

She smiled genuinely, "I'm glad you're so happy Elena. It's good to see you smile so freely." We smiled at each other for a moment before she said, "Well, time for work. You've got a couple tables already so get to it."

The breakfast rush went by quickly and it was quite busy, so I didn't have much time to myself. There was something I had to do now that I was sure this was where I would be staying for a long time, but I needed a few minutes of alone time to do it.

When my last few customers left and I only had one table still lingering behind, I went behind the counter and picked up the phone, then dialed the familiar number. It went to voicemail after ringing for a while, so I began, "Hey Bonnie, it's me. I wanted to call to let you know that I got somewhere safe. I love you, and I miss you, and hopefully the next time I see you I can do something to thank you for all of your help. And we _will_ see each other again, I promise." Seeing a few customers approaching the counter, I finished, "I've got to go, but I'll be in touch again soon. Maybe then we can talk. Bye."

It finally felt like all was right in the world again. Maybe I'd never have the ability to completely relax and stop sleeping with one eye open, but it was a small price to pay for the infinite happiness I'd found here.

The lunch rush was filled with hungry tourists visiting the city on vacation that loved to talk about their travels and where they were from. I'd met people from everywhere across the country, from California to Georgia. I liked living in a town that depended on tourism for it's revenue, because it was a tourist attraction for a reason. Breathtaking sunsets almost every evening combined with the ocean views and whale watching trips made this town a gem in a pile of rocks.

I was lucky to have found it along with the people in it.

A little after lunch, one of my coworkers said someone wanted to see me at the to-go window, so I headed over after refilling a table's drinks. Damon was waiting for me and I smiled as I approached him, "I didn't realize when you said you'd see me soon you meant _so_ soon."

He shrugged, "I didn't either. I wanted to stop by to tell you to come over to my place after you get off work."

I narrowed my eyes, "Why? What do you have planned?" He smirked and wiggled his brows, inferring all kinds of sexual innuendos and I giggled, "Besides that!"

"Just hanging out!" He insisted. "When do you get off?"

"Around seven." I answered.

"Perfect. You can spend a couple hours with Alex and Mia, and then you and me can—"

I covered his mouth with my hand and widened my eyes, "Would you not discuss our sex life so loud?"

He chuckled and batted my hand away, then leaned over the counter to kiss me, "See you later."

"Bye." I said as he turned to leave, but then he spun back around and kissed me again and I laughed against his lips.

This time, he left for real, and I had a giddy smile on my face as I turned to get back to work. One of the older women I worked with, Judy Flowers, was standing at the register smiling at me. She said, "It's about time Damon finds someone that makes him happy. After everything that family's been through, he deserves it."

She left before I could ask what she meant, and the rest of the day I was left to ponder her words. I knew Damon's life hadn't exactly been a walk in the park, but who was I to judge him? I had absolutely no room for it, and I didn't mind staying in the dark until he was ready to tell me all of the details. I could only assume it was about Alex and Mia's parents, since Damon hasn't hinted about any other family secrets. Even if there was something else, it didn't bother me.

I mean, just look at my situation. I was in hiding from a man who would have killed me had he had the chance.

Whatever Damon hadn't told me about yet was not as bad as that.

When I finally got out of work, I stopped at home to shower and change before I went to Damon's. I put on some shorts and a short sleeved shirt then left my hair down to air dry into its natural waves.

Damon's house was only a few blocks away from his store, so the walk was short. It was a little past eight by the time I arrived. The front door of his house was open so the breeze could blow inside through the screen door. I climbed the steps to the porch and saw Damon leaning over the dining table with Alex sitting near him, pointing to something on a sheet of paper. I knocked on the door and they both looked up, Damon motioning for me to come inside while Alex greeted me.

Damon said, "Make yourself at home, I'm almost done helping Alex with his homework."

I smiled and nodded, and not two seconds later Mia was wrapping herself around my leg out of nowhere. Her hair was in pigtails today, though they were very uneven and practically falling out. I laughed, "Who did your hair today, sweetie? It's falling out."

I fingered one of the pink bows and she giggled, "Uncle Damon is bad at my hair. Gramma sometimes does it, but she was workin' when I waked up."

"Let's fix it for you then because Uncle Damon is _really_ bad at doing your hair." I smirked at Damon who just rolled his eyes before leading Mia to the couch. I sat down with her on my lap and I gently pulled out the hair bands and bows until her shoulder length chocolate brown hair fell straight. I decided to french braid her hair and did it quickly since she didn't have that much. She sat patiently the entire time, alternating between playing with a doll and watching the cartoon on TV. When I was finished, I tied one of the bands around the end and attached a bow.

She scrambled out of my lap, saying something about going to find a mirror while Damon flopped down on the couch next to me.

"Why is he doing homework in the summer?" I asked, pulling my legs up underneath me and angling myself so I was half in his lap. May ended not too long ago, and along with its end came June which meant no more school.

"It's not really homework, per se, but the kid loves learning. Math, science, history—all of it. He's gonna be in second grade, and he already knows how to do multiplication." Damon explained proudly.

I loved how they all always seemed to be surprising me. Damon could be sweet and tender, Alex was a genius, and Mia was an angel sent from heaven to make me fall in love with her.

Before I could respond, Mia came running back into the room, gushing about her hair and telling me that I had to do it everyday. I wished I could, too. I didn't think anything would be better than waking up next to Damon everyday then getting to see his niece and nephew. Having breakfast with them every morning, and spending my days playing with the kids…it all sounded like a slice of heaven.

Alex joined us a few moments later and the four of us spent an hour or so lounging on the couch and watching TV. Mia had sat curled up in my lap while Alex sat next to me with a bowl of popcorn. Damon's arm was around my shoulders and I had leaned into him, comforted by the occasional kiss he planted either on my head or lips.

When Mia started to drift off, Damon put her to bed and Alex followed close after. I was left to look around his house while he finished saying goodnight. The television was above a stone fireplace, with pictures of Mia and Alex lined up along the mantle. There were baby pictures, pictures of when Mia turned one, pictures of Alex on Christmas morning when he couldn't have been more than three. Then I found a photo of a younger looking Damon, probably in his late teens or early twenties, with his arm slung around another boy's shoulders. If I had to guess, I would say that was Stefan. He had the same light brown/dirty blonde hair that Alex had, and if I looked close enough, I could tell that Alex had his eyes. Mia must look more like their mother, whoever she was.

I then moved to a shelf where there were more pictures, books, and an old record player. Out of curiosity, I dropped the needle and switched it on. A slow song I didn't recognize began playing. Just as I tried to look for the name of it on the center sticker, I felt someone's hands land on my hips and I jumped, not expecting Damon to be there.

He chuckled at my reaction and I turned around to glare at him, but I couldn't bring myself to be mad when he pulled me into his arms and began swaying with me to the music. Instead I laughed as we danced around the living room. He twirled me around only to swing me back to him for a kiss, and then we began dancing around the room all over again.

"What song is this?" I asked once we slowed down a bit.

Damon shrugged, "Something old, I'm sure. I prefer my music all on a compact device called an iPod, but my mother unsurprisingly prefers records."

"Your mother's not that old." I admonished. "Records are fun, and you can have a collection of them as opposed to just a name on a screen."

"But I can fit ten thousand songs in my pocket and bring them anywhere I want. Can you bring ten thousand records wherever you want?"

I slapped his chest and glared at him, "You're such a stick in the mud."

He leaned in close to whisper in my ear, "Oh, I'll show you a stick, but it's not gonna be in the mud…"

I giggled at his poorly executed joke, "That was terrible. You should feel bad about that."

He laughed, "Come on, it wasn't _that_ bad."

"Yes it was." I shook my head, then stopped dancing to shut off the record player. "You lose dancing privileges because of that."

"Do I gain any other sorts of privileges?" He wiggled his brows.

"Only if you're particularly lucky." I teased.

"We'll see just how lucky I am once I get a glass of wine in you." He smirked, moving towards the kitchen. "Red or white?"

"Red, please." I sat down on the couch and once again my eyes landed on the picture of Damon and the person I thought might be Stefan. When he sat down next to me and handed me the glass, I asked, "Is that you and your brother?"

He took a sip of his own wine then nodded, "Me and Steffie."

I threw my legs over his lap and he dropped his free hand onto my knee. "Will you tell me more about him?"

He pursed his lips, "More about him, or the situation with Mia and Alex?"

"Both. Either. Whatever you want to tell me."

"My brother…" Damon sighed, taking another gulp of his wine, "Was always the responsible one when we were younger. If Mom told us to be home at midnight, he'd be home at eleven and I'd be home at two or three. It was like that all throughout high school. Until his senior year, he got involved with this girl named Katherine. She was a bitch, plain and simple. Mom hated her, I hated her… I knew her in school because she hung around the type of girls that I'd call up on a Friday night for a booty call. Stefan was stupid back then. He fell for her seduction instead of exploiting it."

"Exploiting it?" I questioned.

He nodded, "Instead of taking her to bed like any guy would have done when she flashed her sex eyes, he took her on dates. He was more of a romantic kind of guy, you know? He respected all women no matter what, even when they didn't want to be respected. Well, a couple weeks later Stefan told us that he was serious about her and they were officially in a relationship. I was off at college in the city at the time, so I couldn't be there to knock some sense into his thick skull, but by the time Thanksgiving rolled around and I was able to come home, it was too late. Right after the big family dinner that we reluctantly allowed Katherine to attend, they announced that she was pregnant."

"What a way to end the night." I muttered.

Damon smirked, "That's exactly what it was like. 'Hey Damon, Mom, Katherine's pregnant and we're keeping it. Who wants dessert?'" We both laughed lightly and he continued, "So you can imagine how well that went over. I don't even remember much of that night I was so furious that he fell into the bitch's trap. I always knew she would hurt him, even before Alex happened. All I know is that it ended with my fist in his face when he tried to tell me to fuck off. My baby brother didn't talk to me like that, and hearing it was the spark that blew my fuse. Mom was pissed, but her heart was too big to turn either of them down. Katherine's parents couldn't have cared less about her, so Mom welcomed her. After I finished the semester, I dropped out of college to come home and make sure that Mom wasn't letting her love cloud her judgment. I hated it there anyway, and with a nephew on the way I wanted to make sure that the child got the best there was. The best sure as hell wasn't Katherine, and we all knew it. Even she did."

I silently sipped my wine and listened to his story. It was a big part of his life, and no matter what happened then I wanted to be there for him now.

"A few months later, she gave birth to Alex. She claimed the whole thing was eye opening and that she was excited to be a mother, blah, blah, blah, a bunch of bullshit that Stefan fell for hook, line, and sinker. They maintained a strange relationship while parenting Alex. It was toxic to everyone, to say the least. It lasted years, until they found out that yet again, Katherine was pregnant. This time, it pushed her over the edge. She stuck around long enough to give birth, but as soon as she did she was gone. Stefan was completely blindsided, but Mom and I had seen it coming miles away. My brother hadn't wanted to listen to us when we tried to warn him. He was hopelessly in love with a woman that loathed children and family. He was heartbroken and did his best to be a father to two motherless children that didn't know any better. Alex noticed that his mother was gone and he'd cry for her, and my mom did the best she could fill in but he still knew something wasn't right. Mia never knew any better, and honestly, I think it was better that way. Stefan and I never knew our father, and we both agreed that we didn't want to know a man that could abandon his sons. Well, Katherine signed over her parental rights and left for god knows where. She's never coming back, and we don't want her back."

When Damon didn't say anything for a few moments, I asked, "So why did Stefan enlist in the military and leave behind two amazing children?"

He ran a hand over his face, "Because he's a fool, that's why. I love him more than anything, but he's a damn fool. When she left, he was devastated. I know he loves his kids, but it wasn't enough to help him deal with her leaving. He enlisted without telling anybody, claiming that spending time away where he could focus on himself and boot camp and whatever else they do would do him good, and a week after Mia's first birthday he was shipped off to North Carolina to train. We haven't seen him since; we only exchange letters. I send him pictures of the kids, and he talks to them in the letters. Mia has no idea what's going on whenever we get another letter. I tell her that it's her father, but she doesn't remember him or even recognize his picture, so she really couldn't care less about talking to him. Alex remembers him though. He's the one that's more into writing letters. He was so interested in talking to his dad that he made me teach him how to read and write, and his love for learning just escalated from there."

"That's awful." I said without thinking, then quickly backtracked, "I mean—"

"No, it is awful." Damon interrupted. "It's frustrating, and sad—pitiful, even. Stefan and I used to be best friends. We had our ups and downs, but were always there for each other. Katherine tore us apart. She was never satisfied with what she had, always wanting more. If she wasn't flirting with me or hooking up with whoever she picked up at a party, she was toying with Stefan's emotions. We made her do a paternity test to make sure Mia was Stefan's just because she slept with anything that moved… I don't even know what I would say to him if I saw him again. There's so much unfinished business between us."

"I'd imagine you're pretty angry at him." I said softly, brushing his hair behind his ear then I began sifting my fingers through the thick, dark locks. "And you're probably disappointed in him. What he did wasn't okay, because his children should have been his top priority. He should have done what was best for them, and leaving them parentless wasn't it."

He sighed heavily and shook his head in disappointment, "He tells us every year that he'll try to come home for Christmas, but it just never happens. He doesn't have the courage to actually come home. I miss him, you know? But I'm also so pissed at him that part of me doesn't want to see him again. It's like he's almost as bad as Katherine."

"Do you think he regrets enlisting?"

He shrugged, "I have no clue. I'd hope he regrets it, but he certainly didn't seem too hesitant to leave."

"Well if he doesn't want to be here and be a father, then there's nothing you can do to change that. He has to want it, or else he'll never be the man that Alex and Mia need." I said, still playing with his hair. He seemed to be enjoying it, his eyes occasionally closing for a few seconds.

"It just sucks, you know?" He asked, turning his head to look at me. "Alex's school had these 'bring your mom or dad to school' days and when Alex told me that he couldn't go to either party because he didn't have a mom or a dad, I didn't even know what to say. Finally I convinced him that I'd go on the day for fathers and my mom went on the day for moms. I had to introduce myself to the parents of all of his friends explaining that I was his uncle and his father couldn't make it because he was too much of a coward to parent his kid. If it was humiliating for me, I can't imagine how Alex felt when his friends asked where his mom and dad were."

My heart broke for Alex in that moment, because I knew exactly what it was like not to have any parents anymore. Alex's situation was much worse in my opinion since he was abandoned by both parents and left to feel unwanted rather than orphaned. I lost what little respect I had for Damon's brother in that moment.

"Lots of kids have unconventional families these days, Damon. That doesn't make it any easier on them, but as long as they know they're loved that's all that matters." I told him gently.

Damon nodded and squeezed my knee, "So that's my family's tragic past. What's yours?"

I smiled at his poor attempt at a joke, "You already know mine, idiot."

"Oh, so now I'm an idiot?" He flared his eyes at me and smirked.

I grinned, "Yep. But you're _my_ idiot."


	13. Chapter 13

So this is a super duper fluffy chapter with not a lot of plot, but who doesn't love Delena fluff? It might make you melt quite a bit but there's some kinky smut at the end that will fix that ;)

Also, make sure you read chapter 12 which was posted earlier today.

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

I stretched my arms high above my head and yawned, then my eyes fluttered open. For a few seconds, I completely forgot that I wasn't in my house and the unfamiliar surroundings sent a jolt of fear through me, but as soon as I spotted the leather jacket hanging on the back of a desk chair, I remembered I was in Damon's room. Or more specifically, Damon's bed.

Feeling clothing on that I didn't remember falling asleep wearing, I looked down to see that I was wearing a large t-shirt that belonged to Damon and my panties. I was deliciously sore between my legs, and I smiled to myself at the memory of last night. Damon woke me up multiple times over the course of the night to have his way with me, and not once did I complain. How could I ever deny what I desired just as much?

Crawling out of bed, I looked around for my clothes from last night and found my shorts on the floor. I slipped them on along with my bra, but I left Damon's shirt on. It was just so soft and comforting, and it smelled like him. After everything that he told me about his family last night, I found myself falling even deeper into the black hole called Damon Salvatore. I liked that he wasn't perfect. Perfect was boring, and while sometimes boring was a breath of fresh air for me, it wasn't the way to live life.

However, that didn't mean that I liked danger. I've had enough of that to last ten lifetimes. I still get nightmares about the night that triggered all of this. I don't ever want to go through something like that again. It would destroy me.

I made my way out of Damon's room, passing the two other empty bedrooms belonging to the kids, and wandered into the kitchen. Damon was standing at the stove wearing a pair of basketball shorts and a blue t-shirt. I spotted Mia and Alex watching cartoons in the other room, so I wanted to greet Damon before they noticed I was awake.

Wrapping my arms around his waist from behind, I pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades and smiled as he whispered his good morning. He turned in my arms and leaned down to kiss me, a spatula in one hand and his other moving around my waist. The picture seemed so domestic, and it was everything I ever wanted.

"What are you making?" I asked, eying up all of the cooking food in front of us.

"Eggs benedict with homemade hollandaise sauce." He answered through a smile. "I hope you like that."

I nodded, "I do, though I'm sure anything cooked by you would taste good. Well, except for dessert. I'll make dessert."

He rolled his eyes, "You were _so_ close to giving me a compliment."

I laughed, "Well I couldn't let that happen, could I? There'd never be enough room in here for me, you, _and_ your ego."

"Cute." He deadpanned, his handing dropping to my ass and giving it a squeeze. I glanced back to the kids to make sure they weren't watching before leaning up on my tiptoes to kiss him. His tongue instantly brushed the seam of my lips and I opened my mouth, snaking my arms around his neck for leverage.

Suddenly we heard something start to sizzle, and Damon instantly pulled away to save his sauce that was about to boil over while I laughed.

"Elena, you're here!" Mia squealed excitedly when they heard us in the kitchen, running towards me in her pink princess pajamas.

She hugged my leg and I ran a hand over her messy bedhead, "Yeah, I'm still here. I'm gonna have breakfast with you too."

"Really!?"

I nodded and laughed, "Yes, really." I lifted her into my arms and asked, "So what are you going to do today?"

"I'm gonna eat bweakfast, and then Gramma's comin' to take me n' Alex to the park!"

"The park, huh? What's your favorite part about the park?"

"The swings. And I like the bouncy bridge."

"Well it sounds like you've got a fun day planned." I said, noticing that Damon was plating up the food. I sat her down in a chair at the table and called Alex to come to breakfast. While Damon fixed everyone's meals, I got everyone's drinks. Black coffee for Damon and orange juice for the rest of us, of course in spill proof cups for the kids.

Damon's cooking was amazing, just as I had expected it to be. I had never had better food before in my life than when he cooked for me. Those two kids were lucky to get to eat his cooking all the time.

Then after eating, Damon insisted on doing the dishes with Alex since Mia was already begging me to do her hair again like I did last night. None of them really gave me much choice in the matter, and Damon told me to get her dressed while I was at it. I hadn't realized just how difficult that was.

Mia denied nearly every outfit I picked out for her in her closet, insisting on wearing something that I was convinced didn't exist. Finally I managed to coax her into a pair of pink shorts and a white tank top with pink frills around the edges. I then braided her hair into two even french braids, one on each half of her head. I tied two pink bows to the ends then helped her put on a pair of pink sandals. Lastly I took her in the bathroom to brush her teeth.

By the time she was ready and we went into the living room to wait for Damon's mom, he and Alex were already sitting there, looking like they'd been ready for years. Damon was smirking widely at me, as if saying that was what I had to look forward to every time I got her ready for the day. Bastard.

Lily was surprised to see me when she picked them up, but a not so secretive look sent in Damon's direction let me know that she was happy about our relationship and didn't mind my involvement in the kids' lives. Actually, I'd say it was quite the opposite. She seemed ecstatic to see me there interacting with her grandchildren and I caught the smile she shared with Damon when I kissed Mia's forehead and hugged Alex.

Finally Damon and I were alone, and since I didn't work today I had planned on him keeping me tied to the bed all day. Literally. He had joked about it last night, but I doubted he was completely kidding.

Instead he surprised me by telling me to get ready because we were going out. I threw half of my hair up and tied it back, leaving the other half down and wavy. I picked out a t-shirt of Damon's from high school that had his last name across the back and a tennis logo across the front. It was smaller than the shirt I had been wearing, so it fit better, and when I met him in the living room I asked, "You played tennis in high school?"

He nodded, "Varsity first singles all four years. I've been playing for years."

"We should play some time." I said.

"You play?"

I shrugged, "Varsity first doubles for two years then first singles when my partner graduated."

He smirked, "You never mentioned that."

"I usually lead with cheerleader. It grabs people's attention more than tennis player."

"Can't argue with you there." He chuckled.

"So what are we doing today?" I asked a bit excitedly.

He nodded his head towards the door, "Let's go and I'll show you."

I followed him outside and around the side of the house where a small one car garage was located. He pulled open the door to reveal boxes, a few large toys, and, oh yeah, a sleek black Ducati. Like that was normal.

I felt my mouth fall open at the sight of the shiny black motorcycle and Damon walked over to it, picking up two helmets. He didn't say anything, he just wiggled his brows, but he didn't need to. I grinned and grabbed the helmet from him, strapping it on. I'd never been on a motorcycle, but I found I really wanted to try it. Especially when it meant I'd get to be pressed up against Damon the entire time.

Damon put on his helmet then hopped on. It roared to life so loudly that I couldn't hear myself think and I laughed as I climbed on the back. I wrapped my arms around Damon's waist and locked my thighs against his hips, securing myself to him tighter than glue.

He began driving it away from the house, and he took a right instead of a left. To the left was his store, my house, The Grill, and town. I didn't know what was to the right, but a few minutes later I found out.

He took me high into the mountains that you wouldn't expect to be so close to the coast. We drove down the winding roads with spectacular views for what felt like hours, and I never got tired of looking. Thick green trees covered the valleys below us and the ocean was visible in the distance. We rode through roads covered by willow trees that looked like something straight out of a fantasy and drove past flower fields colored vibrant shades of red, purple, yellow, pink, and orange. We passed crop fields and berry fields, even apple and peach orchards.

We traveled all across the island that Bar Harbor called home, even stopping at Seal Cove, a place aptly named for the hundreds of seals we got to see sunning themselves on the rocks. We even got to see some breeching wales in the distance jumping out of the water and landing with huge splashes. Then we went to another beach that was inhabited by puffins, of all things. The adorable little birds had my heart until I heard the lawn mower like sounds they make. Who would have thought such a cute bird could make such a strange sound?

Damon kept me occupied all day long on his motorcycle, and we only stopped for a quick fast food lunch with him promising a nice dinner later. After eating, he drove me to another beach that had huge tidal pools where you could see all kinds of sea life lurking beneath the shallow water. We saw sea urchins, clams, mussels, starfish, sea snails, crabs, lobsters, and even a really small baby octopus that I cooed over for an hour. I had never been so in love with a town before in my life, and to think that I got to live here with Damon and his family…it couldn't get any better than that.

Then while we were down by the water, we drove across ocean side roads where we saw countless lighthouses, boats, and kayakers in the water. A motorcycle ride really was the way to go if you wanted to see a city and cover a lot of ground. And being glued to Damon's back didn't hurt either.

When we both started getting hungry again, Damon drove us to a restaurant on the ocean where you made your own pizza. They showed us how to throw the dough, and Damon being Damon got cocky and overestimated his cooking skills. Our first ball of dough ended up on the ceiling, but the man helping us assured us that it happens more often than you'd think. After my successful attempt at throwing the dough, we topped it with our choice of sauce, cheeses, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pepperoni. Then the man showed us how to put in the large brick oven at our table to cook it, and twenty minutes later we were pulling out our own made-from-scratch pizza.

We sat outside, enjoying the ocean breeze as we ate our dinner and drank some amazing wine. Damon really knew how to treat a girl right, and I couldn't believe that he was all mine. We shared countless quick kisses all throughout dinner, but it wasn't until we finished both our pizza and our wine that things escalated into long, languid kisses that left my body trembling with desire.

I had never imagined that the day would turn out as amazing as it had. Damon just made me so _deliriously_ happy…it was impossible for me not to smile when he was around, and even if I wasn't smiling he was doing or saying something to make me.

"You make me so happy." I told him softly, my head resting on his shoulder.

He kissed my forehead and ran his fingers through my wind-tangled hair, "I like making you happy."

The sun was setting on the horizon of the water, but it hadn't yet touched the ocean. We were sitting on the cushioned bench at our table with the empty pizza pan sitting off to the side and our empty wine glasses ready to be taken away. My arm was thrown across his stomach and his was wrapped around my shoulders with his fingers playing in my hair. The moment was absolutely perfect. I would remember it for the rest of my life, because I was fairly sure that today had been the best day of my life.

"I've been thinking about what you asked me the other day. You know, what I love to do. I told you I'd let you know when I figured it out."

"Did you figure it out?"

I nodded, "I think so. At least some things I love to do."

"And what are they?" He asked, his lips brushing against my forehead. It was like we couldn't get enough of each other and we always needed to be touching each other.

"I love to write. My mom bought me my first journal when I was in middle school, but I kind of forgot about it until recently." I shared.

"What kind of writing do you like to do?"

"Anything, I guess. I do love writing down my own personal thoughts and feelings, but I think writing fiction would be really fun."

"Then you should pursue it. Do what you love, Elena." He said simply.

"You make it sound so simple." I laughed a little.

"It doesn't have to be complicated, you know. Being a writer wouldn't be easy, but if you love it then you should go for it."

Maybe I could pursue my writing and actually get published, but Damon was forgetting about the painstakingly long process of editing that could take years, and then the marginal income I'd get from the book. _If_ I ever even got published.

"So what about you?" I asked, changing the subject. "Don't tell me that running your family's store has been your dream since you were a kid."

He chuckled, "No, it hasn't, but the thing is, I never really aspired to have a job, you know? Most people go to school wanting to be a teacher, or a doctor, or a lawyer, but that was never me. I was more interested in my hobbies than some boring job that I paid too much money to learn how to do."

"So then what are your hobbies? Wining and dining a girl until she's yours?" I teased.

He looked down at me and smirked, "I wouldn't call that a hobby so much as a one-time thing."

His lips covered mine for a few seconds before I stopped him, "Hey, don't distract me with your lips! Come on, what are your hobbies?"

He rolled his eyes, "Well, I like cars."

I narrowed my eyes, "You have a 69' Camaro convertible and a Ducati. I think that was pretty obvious."

"Alright little miss 'I know everything,' did you know that I can play the piano?"

"No I didn't." I smiled. "I'd love to hear you play."

He playfully flared his eyes, "I'm sure you would. Unfortunately, I don't have a piano. The one I learned to play on broke some years ago and we haven't gotten it replaced."

I nuzzled my cheek against his shoulder and said, "Tell me something else I don't know about you."

A moment of silenced passed between us of just Damon stroking my hair as we watched the sunset. Then he said, "I love you."

My heart jumped in my chest and I pulled back to look up at him. He loved me? His face betrayed the anxiety he felt in waiting for my reply, but it soon disappeared as the smile on my face widened. "You love me?"

He nodded, "I do."

My lips were on his before I could stop myself and they were not gentle. Damon pulled me into his lap, my knees landing on either side of his hips as our mouths devoured each other in a fit of uninhibited passion. His hands held my hips tight against his as our tongues tangled together. Muffled moans and groans escaped through our kiss, impossible to tell who they were coming from. My fingers knotted in his hair as I pressed myself as close to him as humanly possible.

We only separated when breathing became a necessity and even then I didn't go far. With my forehead leaning against his and our heavy breathing mingling in the air, I panted, "Damon, I love you t—" He didn't let me finish that thought; instead he kissed me hungrily once again. My body craved more, and when I rocked my hips against his and felt his growing arousal I gasped, "Damon!"

"Let's head home." He said, quickly shuffling me out of his lap and throwing down some money for dinner before dragging me from the building.

We climbed onto his motorcycle and I plastered myself to his back, unable to restrain my wandering hands as they stroked the hard muscles of his stomach and dipped below the waistband on his jeans. I was playing with fire, and I loved every second of it. Not only was I in love, but I needed him, and that combination was lethal.

The space between my legs was throbbing painfully with need and the only thing that made it more tolerable was when I felt how hard he was for me. If he hadn't been driving, I was sure my constant touching would have made him snap and take me right there. I kissed his back through his shirt and dropped my hand to the crotch of his jeans, rubbing his hard member. I wanted him more than I ever wanted anyone before in my life.

Finally when he couldn't take it anymore, and he pulled off to the side of the road where nobody would see us. He pulled his helmet off of his head and then stripped my shorts and panties right down my legs. He sat me on the motorcycle then dropped his pants enough to free his length while I removed my own helmet.

Our need was too great to wait the hour long ride back to his house. We just told each other we loved each other. Nothing was going to stand in our way now.

He thrust into me quickly and didn't give me a single second to adjust, not that I even needed it. Sure, he was big, but I wanted him too much to care about anything else. His mouth swallowed my screams as his hips tightened the coil inside of my lower stomach until it was barely a touch away from exploding.

I whimpered his name into his neck and gripped onto his back as hard as I could as my body began trembling with the beginnings of my release. His husky commands and grunts of my name were my undoing and I met my release with a sharp cry. Damon followed soon after, pumping into me through his release until the only thing keeping us up was the motorcycle. This bike was going to have some great memories attached to it.

We redressed quickly and this time when we were back on the road, I was able to finally relax against him and let the implications of tonight sink in.

It didn't matter that we'd only known each other for a month and a half. Damon loved me. Somehow, that made the whole entire fucked up situation surrounding my life seem bearable.


	14. Chapter 14

So here's the third chapter today! There are 21 chapters in total and considering I have only three more days before I leave for vacation I'm going to start posting quite a few each day so you don't have to wait 12 days for the end of the story.

If anyone is curious, I'm going to the Galapagos Islands and I'm really excited :)

Sadly to say, the last chapter was indeed the calm before the storm. Thank you all so much for your kind reviews and the feedback I've gotten. I never expected this much traffic for my first story ever posted.

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

"Donovan, my office, _now_."

Matt looked up from his computer screen to see the face of his boss looking into his office. Sheriff Danvers held his position with pride, and had for the better part of twenty years. He didn't sound too happy, and Matt wondered why that was as he watched his superior stalk through the stations back to his own office.

Standing up, Matt grabbed his water bottle and scrubbed a hand over his tired face before exiting his office and heading towards the sheriff's. He sank down into one of the leather chairs opposite Danvers's desk and gripped the bottle tightly in his hand.

He was tired. Exhausted, even. It was hard to sleep knowing the love of his life was out there somewhere doing god knows what while he had no way of contacting her. He knew he had been slacking on his duties as an officer, but he needed all of his focus on Elena. She was all he could think about, and that wasn't going to stop until he either drank himself into a coma or found her.

The sheriff was staring at him angrily with his arms crossed over his chest as he sat in his chair. He was balding, and what little hair he had left was turning from brown to gray, though his weathered features proved as intimidating as ever. Matt was barely sober enough to stay focused, but he managed well enough for his job's sake.

Danvers pulled out a sheet of paper from his desk and slid it across so Matt could look at it. "What the hell is this, Donovan?"

It was the wanted sign he'd made of Elena with shorter brown hair. Seeing her picture reminded him of his continual failure to get anywhere closer to finding her. Nobody had called him with any information about her, much to his dismay, and he found it increasingly harder to tell himself that he'd get her back eventually.

His eyes darted up from her picture to the sheriff's face, "I've got to find her, boss…"

He was the only one that knew Matt's injury wasn't self-inflicted. He understood why Elena fled and why Matt was so hell bent on finding her. Maybe he didn't know just what happened behind closed doors, but the information was irrelevant.

Danvers sighed, "This isn't the way to do it and you know it, Matt. She's not a murderer; she's your wife."

Matt simply stared at him, the words registering yet not compelling him to change his actions. He knew she wasn't a murderer, but people would be a hell of a lot more willing to turn her in if they thought she killed someone.

His boss nodded towards the plastic bottle he was clutching tightly, "What's in the bottle?"

"Water."

He narrowed his eyes and stood up, walking around the desk and snatching the bottle right out of his hand. He unscrewed the cap and smelled the strong alcohol, a hard look crossing his face.

"You're suspended until further notice. Hand over your gun and badge."

"What!? Sheriff, no, I worked hard for this job!"

"By day drinking and sending a false wanted notice out across the country?" He snapped angrily. Matt bit his lower lip, unable to argue. "That's what I thought. Gun and badge, now."

Reluctantly, Matt reached into his pocket and pulled out his badge, followed by the gun attached to his hip in its holster.

"Go home and sleep this off. I know you want to find her, but this isn't the way."

Matt felt like his life was slowly falling to pieces, and all because of Elena. All because she made a mistake that night almost two months ago. Anger boiled inside of him along with desolation, disappointment, and fear. He felt red with rage, yet he had no one to take it out on. He was completely devastated that she left him after everything he did for her. He would have given her anything she wanted, but she threw it all away. He felt like everything in his life that he worked so hard to build was destroyed in one fell swoop, and now he had nothing.

He was back to being a nobody. He wasn't a cop anymore, he didn't have his wife by his side, he'd lose his friends too once they figured out what he'd done because of her, and soon he'd be broke back to living in a tiny house where nobody cared about him.

And it all boiled down to Elena. Everything wrong in his life was her fault. She hurt him, she left him, she's the one that made him go to the lengths he had to find her, consequently making him lose his job for the unforeseeable future, and she's the one that will ruin his life.

Unless she comes back. If he could just get her back, then she'd tell everyone that it was all a big mistake. She'd help him get his job back and soon he and his friends would be laughing about the whole situation. He might always have the scar on his stomach from what she did, but he'd overlook it if it just meant that she came home.

He had no ideas left on how to find her. She was the key to fixing his life, but he had no fucking clue where to start. Well, he supposed that he knew she was somewhere up north, and he knew that she couldn't have gone anywhere expensive to live seeing as none of her bank accounts had been touched. She didn't have any family outside of Mystic Falls, so he was shit out of luck there too. The little family she did have left she didn't talk to, so they'd be no help in tracking her down.

All she had was him, and all he had was her. Except now, he didn't even had her. He had nothing. He was nobody. He was back to being useless, and soon everyone would forget about him. There would be no more invitations to founding family parties, no more expensive charity dinners to attend where he got to show off that he had a beautiful woman who was also a founding family member, and no more dinner parties with his friends where they sat around a poker table and drank while their wives gossiped in the kitchen.

He loved all of it, and she took it away from him within a single night. She'd pay for that. He'd find her no matter what lengths he had to go to to find her. There was no limit for a man with nothing to lose.

* * *

"Elena, it looks like it's gonna rain soon sweetheart. Could you help pull down the plastic?" Judy Flowers asked me as I finished putting money in the register.

I smiled, "Yeah, sure. Let me just finish with this last table first."

After returning with the customers' change, I began helping Judy untie the plastic sheets and letting them unroll to provide makeshift walls to keep out any impending rain. A few days ago Damon was telling me about the town's annual Fourth of July festival where they have a parade, live music and dancing, and a fireworks display set off by him, the sheriff, and some friends. It had been rainy this past week or so, so hopefully the weather will clear up by the time July fourth arrives in about two weeks.

Alex and Mia were excited for the fireworks. Alex told me how every year he asks Damon to let him help set them off, but every year Damon tells him that when he's older he can help. Mia isn't quite as interested in the mechanics behind the explosives rather than the pretty colors they make in the sky. She doesn't like the loud noise either so she wears a pair of headphones that block out the sound.

Because of the gloomy weather, not many people were at The Grill today. Caroline wasn't even there, instead she opted to take the day off. It was only me and two other coworkers with the few customers that had been trickling in and out all day.

"Gilbert?"

Instinctively I spun around at the sound of my name only to come face to face with Damon. My heart dropped into my stomach as I realized that he suddenly knew my last name. He had this disgusted look on his face as he realized that I responded to the name he didn't know I had.

I didn't know what to say as I stood there, horrified that he found out.

"Your last name is Gilbert?" He asked again, his jaw muscles ticking with how tight they looked.

My throat felt tight as fear quickly consumed me, constricting my chest and knotting in my stomach. "Yes." I just barely whispered, still trying to process what exactly it was he knew. If he knew everything, then I'd have to leave. There was no way I could stomach the disappointment on his face when he realized that I put his family in danger by pursuing him. I loved him too much to let him go like I knew I should have done from the second he showed an interest in me. Now, I was in too deep and I didn't know how I'd survive it if I lost him.

He blew out a sarcastic laugh full of anger, "And what the hell is this?" He held up a sheet of paper in front of me and my eyes quickly scanned over the picture of me on the front, my hair dark and short. I grabbed it from him and quickly read the headline.

 _Wanted: First Degree Murder, Elena Gilbert_.

"Who did you kill?" Damon asked, though I barely heard him.

 _Oh god_. Matt really lost it this time. He's coming after me, if this is any indication he's getting closer. I could barely summon the courage to mumble, "I don't know…" My mind was racing with thoughts of what I had to do, what I could do to escape him, what my next move needed to be to make sure he never found me.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Damon scoffed, the hurt written all over his face. Pain that _I_ put there, and that felt like a punch to the gut. "You don't know who you killed or you don't know what this is?"

I was panicking. I could feel the anxiety rapidly rising in my chest, bubbling over the edges and spilling inside of me. My hands were shaking as I gripped the piece of paper and my mind felt like a jumbled mess of thoughts. The new life I had made for myself was falling apart right in front of my eyes, and it was all too much.

Tears welled in my eyes but I forced them not to fall as I met his gaze and said, "It's not true."

"Really? That's funny, because if you lied to me about something as simple as your name then why wouldn't you lie about committing murder!?" I began shaking my head, trying to come up with an explanation but nothing came out as I watched the devastation slowly creep into Damon's body. "God, I let you into my life! Into my kids' lives!"

Things couldn't get any worse than this, and I knew that for a fact. I had nothing left to lose, so I tried explaining, "I was young, Damon, and stupid, and I got into a relationship with somebody that I never really knew—"

"Like I can believe anything that comes out of your mouth!?"

"—he hurt me, and—" He was shaking his head, clearly not listening to a word that I said. Tears streaming down my face, I tried the last thing I could think of to get him to listen to me, "I love you, Damon."

He closed his eyes and exhaled sharply, and when his beautiful blue gaze returned to mine I recoiled from the empty detachment I saw in them. Never had I seen him look so uncaring and broken beneath the mask he tried hard to construct. But the thing about that mask was that it wouldn't work on me. I knew who he was at his most vulnerable, and I'd always be able to read him perfectly.

Never before had I thought that would be such a curse. The pain reflected in his eyes only served to crush me as my past caught up with me. I was stupid to think that I could go on with my life without ever telling anyone about my past.

"I was in the sheriff's office today when I found that on the bulletin board. You better leave this town before she sees that."

He turned around and walked away, and that was when I realized this was over. There was no going back, no fixing it, no second chance, because of my mistakes. I knew that Damon had trust issues thanks to his brother and Katherine, yet not once did I consider what would happen if he ever found out that I had been lying about my entire life right to his face.

There was no pain quite like heartbreak, I thought as I began running home. No, it wasn't home anymore. It was just a house that I lived in, nothing more nothing less. This place couldn't be my home anymore. I could barely see anything through my tears, and as if the situation couldn't get any worse it started pouring rain before I could get to the house.

I was drenched in rain and my own tears, my body felt weak and tired, and my heart hurt worse than anything I'd ever felt before. Not even the physical and emotional abuse that I put up with for years could come close to what it felt like knowing I just lost the best thing that ever happened to me.

Not only did I lose the man that I loved, but I lost his family that quickly became my own. I'd leave this town as soon as I could, if for no other reason than getting Matt thousands of miles away from them.

I suddenly tripped on an exposed root on the pathway to my house and stumbled to the ground, my body convulsing with sobs as memories from that night flashed through my mind.

" _Elena, I'm home." Matt yelled as he walked in through the door._

No! I couldn't go back there. I picked myself up from the ground, my arms and legs covered in mud, and I forced myself to keep going back to the house. I had to pack my things and get out of here as soon as I could.

" _You think I drink too much, don't you?" Matt asked like he already knew the answer._

God, I couldn't do this! I rubbed my neck as the memory of his hand closing around it, cutting off my air until the world started flashing in bright colors, slowly fading to black flitted through my mind. I could still feel the pain, hear him hissing nonsense at my face while he nearly strangled me to death.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I finally reached the shelter of the front porch and I leaned my forehead against the door, trying to get a grip. As I stumbled into the house, all I could remember was the sickening sound of a knife piercing flesh.

I collapsed onto the floor and sobbed uncontrollably for what felt like hours. I felt utterly broken, more so than I had when I first came to this town. Nothing could ever compare to this pain. I'd choose _anything_ over this. I think I'd even choose to go back to Matt if it meant that I could be spared from the deathly ache and sharp pain from my shattered heart piercing my organs, letting me know that this time I really screwed up.

By the time I was able to pull myself together enough to crawl into the bathroom, I was covered in dried mud and my stomach physically hurt from the heart wrenching sobs. I dragged myself into the shower and turned on the water, letting it wash over my body as I sat in the tub and stripped off my clothes.

I needed to focus on how I was going to leave this place. I've done it before, I could do it again. This time I didn't have my best friend here to help me when I was a mess, so I had to pull it together for my own self-preservation.

Bar Harbor was a tourist town as well as a shipping town. There were always boats coming and going with tourists. I could slip onto one tomorrow and take it wherever it was going. I had enough money saved up from working at The Grill to get pretty far away. I could travel down the coast for a while and then maybe grab another bus going somewhere out west. Anywhere that I could blend in and nobody would notice me.

As I washed away the dirt, rain water, and tears from my body, not a single thought made me feel better. Matt had been ruining my life since the first time he hit me. I didn't want to let him ruin this perfect life I had here, but it was too late. I was foolish to think that I could ever escape him, just like that. He would always be lingering in the shadows, no matter what I did.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel to dry off before getting dressed in a t-shirt and pajama shorts. I was resigned to the fact that I'd be on the run for the rest of my life. No matter where I went, Matt would be there threatening everything. If I didn't even get through two months in one place, then I wondered how I was ever going to survive. I'd run out of money eventually, and without being able to settle in one place permanently, I wouldn't be able to find a job to get more money.

But being broke, homeless, and hungry was better than going back to that monster. There was nothing left for me in this town, even if I loved it more than anything. I loved the amazing views, the beautiful wildlife, the beaches, the small town atmosphere, but most of all, I loved the people. I loved Damon and his kids, his mom, and Caroline. I loved the friends I'd made at The Grill and the relationships I'd built with my regular customers. There wasn't a thing about this place that I didn't like.

But it just wasn't in the cards for me. I couldn't have anything that I wanted until I faced my past, and I couldn't do that without losing my life. As I laid in bed trying to get some sleep, I thought of my parents.

They'd be so disappointed in me for letting my relationship with Matt last so long. I should have been stronger and left him after that first slap. It shouldn't have mattered that I loved him; he hurt me and even if he apologized profusely, I should have known it would happen again. Then it became a matter of not knowing how to leave him.

My mother was the strongest person I ever knew, and I know she'd be so disappointed that I let a man ruin my life. That I didn't have the courage to leave him a long time ago. That I let the same man ruin a healthy relationship that made me happier than I'd ever been.

I couldn't stomach the thought of visiting them in the cemetery while I was with Matt, knowing how much they would hate him. I missed them more than anything, and I hated that I was too embarrassed to visit them because of a man. I wished they were still here. They'd know what to do to help me and get me out of this, or at least give me a safe place to stay.

Because right now, nowhere is safe.


	15. Chapter 15

A few different reviews have mentioned that Elena could possibly be pregnant, but I wanted to say that she is not. Just assume that she's on birth control.

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

Just as I had expected, I hadn't slept a wink last night. At some point around three in the morning I drifted off, but I woke up only a few minutes later when my dreams were haunted by visions of the past.

As the morning light spilled in the window, I just felt numb. The sun's rays no longer warmed my skin like they usually did as I woke up before work, and the warm body with arms wrapped around me was also missing.

I couldn't even cry at the thought. I couldn't feel anything anymore. I had a single mission on my mind, and that was to get away from here as fast as I possibly could. The faster I left, the sooner I could move on from the family that I so badly wanted to call my own.

It didn't take long to gather the few belongings I had that I still wanted. I threw the picture of Bonnie and I in my bag along with some clothes. After clearing out my bedroom, I went into the bathroom to gather some toiletries. I caught sight of myself in the mirror and sighed at the puffy circles under my red eyes. Then my eyes landed on the necklace around my neck. I reached for the small blue-green piece of sea glass and lotus flower.

I would rise from my suffering one day, and I'd finally be able to start my life. Maybe it would take years, and I'd have to sacrifice some of my dreams, but if I got to keep my life in the process then it would all be worth it.

As much as the necklace reminded me of Damon, I couldn't take it off. I didn't want to just throw it out and pretend he never happened. He was too important to me to just simply forget.

I did one last scan of the house before locking up, leaving the key under the mat. The day was sunny as opposed to the rain from yesterday, a stark contrast to the way I was feeling.

The walk to the main pier where dozens of ships came and went every day only took twenty minutes, and though my stomach was clenching in hunger I knew if I ate I wouldn't be able to keep it down. I was too unsettled to eat.

After buying a ticket for a boat down the coast to some city in Massachusetts, I began walking past all of the cars waiting in line to drive onto the boat. It still felt so surreal that not even twenty four hours ago I was radiating happiness and now I couldn't even remember what that had felt like.

"Elena!"

I looked over my shoulder at the sound of my name only to see Damon running towards me. I quickly squashed down the hope I felt rising in my chest. Nothing had changed between today and yesterday, even if he did by some miracle decide to hear me out. My explanation wouldn't change the fact that Matt was coming for me and that by being with Damon, I was putting his family in danger.

I closed my eyes for a moment but kept walking forward, until he appeared in front of me with his hands on my shoulders to stop me. "Damon…" I sighed brokenly, silently begging him to just let me leave. It was better this way.

"I'm sorry." He rushed out as I tried to push past him to board the ship with everyone else walking around us. "I'm sorry, okay? Just…please, don't go. Not yet."

Shaking my head, I looked up at him, "I have to. I can't stay here anymore, not when it's not safe for me or anyone else."

His brows together in confusion, he asked, "Why isn't it safe? Is someone after you?" All of those feelings that I had suppressed suddenly came rushing back to the surface at the sight of the concern brimming in his eyes. All I could do was nod, and Damon continued, "We can go to the police, Liz can—"

"No, no." I said. "Damon, the man I'm running from is the police. My husband is a police officer."

"Your husband?" He breathed in astonishment. I knew it was a shock to him that I was already married, but that marriage has been over for years. All it was now was a piece of paper. He blinked a few times then said, "Look, I don't care, I just know that I need you in my life, and I can't let you leave."

I swallowed thickly, my mind daring to let in the thought of staying, "He will come for me. He's not going to let me go so easily. When he gets here, nobody will be safe, especially not you or your family, and I—I can't let that happen."

I furiously wiped at the tears that began falling and Damon pulled me into his arms. I buried my face in his chest and tried to control my breathing as he said, "We will figure something out. Please, just stay here with me. I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

I was weak. He was promising me everything I ever wanted, and I couldn't deny him even when I knew it would be better if I did. I dropped my bag to the ground and wrapped my arms around his waist as the floodgates opened and I cried into his chest. His arms held me tightly as he whispered soothing reassurances that everything would be okay. I wasn't sure if I believed them, but they helped a little bit.

Eventually my cries slowed down and stopped, and we stood there contentedly in each other's arms as we watched the bridge lift and the boat depart. Only then did Damon pick up my bag with the promise of listening to everything I had to say and lead me back to his car which was abandoned in the middle of the road.

The drive back to his house was tense, to say the least. I knew it was time to come clean and tell him everything. I owed it to him, and if after I finished he didn't want anything to do with me, I wouldn't blame him. I know I wouldn't want someone as damaged as me, especially when he can get any woman he wants. The only thing that kept my frayed nerves from crumbling was Damon's hand around mine and his thumb rubbing gentle circles on the back of it.

When we got to the house, Damon explained that the kids were next door at his mom's so we'd have the place to ourselves for as long as we needed. He then insisted that I looked exhausted and that I should try to sleep some before we did this, but I quickly dismissed the idea. I wanted to get it over with while I was still on board with staying. There was no shortage of boats that could take me anywhere along the coast if I needed to hitch a ride.

However, as stubborn as he was he still made me put on one of his t-shirts and crawl into bed with him. Once we were both in bed, Damon sitting up against the headboard and me sitting with my legs crossed, facing him, I realized I didn't even know where to start.

Did I go back to when I met Matt and give him that much of the story? Or do I just give him the gist and skip right to the night that made me leave?

Deciding on somewhere in the middle, I started, "Eight years ago, I started dating Matt in high school. Things were great between us, and when we graduated I went to a local college to stay close to him because he was determined to be a police officer. A year later, he proposed and we got married on a whim at the local church all within a week. I didn't get the wedding I had always wanted, but I didn't really care. At that point in my life, it was hitting me that my parents were never going to see anymore important moments in my life, and it didn't seem like a big wedding mattered. If I could go back, I think I would have insisted on doing the whole nine yards with a rehearsal dinner and a bachelorette party."

"How old were you when they died?" He asked softly.

"Sixteen." I said sadly. "Nineteen when I got married." I shook my head in disappointment at myself. "That should have been my first clue that something was wrong. We were both way too young. We barely had any life experience. Hell, we couldn't even drink without someone else buying the alcohol."

He placed his hand on my knee and asked, "So what went wrong?"

I exhaled, "It was little things at first. He made me bleach my hair blonde, and he wouldn't let me cut it shorter than my waist. He claimed that I looked better like that, and being only nineteen and a recent orphan, my self esteem wasn't where it should have been. I believed him, and just did what he asked. He became paranoid that I was going to leave him. Not cheat on him, but leave him. Honestly, I don't think he would have cared that much if I did cheat, as long as it was him that I came home to and nobody found out about it. You see, in my hometown, I'm a member of one of the families that founded the town way back when, and those people are treated like royalty. They're typically wealthy socialites that use their money as an excuse to declare themselves better than anyone else. That definitely wasn't Matt. He never had a family or money, and I think he craved the attention of the elitism that I gave him. He was very concerned about my appearance, and he'd constantly be buying me expensive clothes, jewelry, and shoes."

I paused for a moment, trying to figure out where I wanted to go next when Damon asked, "Is that why when I bought you that necklace…?"

"Yeah." I answered, remembering the moment perfectly. "I've worn dresses that cost upwards of four hundred dollars just in our own house. It made me feel dirty, like all he saw me as was a trophy that had to be cleaned and polished daily."

"I didn't make you feel like that, did I?"

"No, of course not!" I quickly said. "You bought me one thing, and I know that you're nothing like him."

He nodded and reached for my hand, playing with my fingers almost as if he was the one that needed comforting. I supposed maybe he did. He just found out that the woman he loves lied to him about everything and is on the run from her deranged husband.

Getting back to the story, I continued, "I honestly can't tell you how it escalated from there. One day we were happy, and the next he was slapping me across the face for getting a small bleach stain on his uniform."

"He hit you?" Damon somehow managed to make the question sound angry and gentle all at the same time.

"He was always careful not to leave a mark, or if he did it was somewhere I could easily hide it." I confessed, avoiding eye contact. I was _so_ ashamed of everything that I put up with and for how long I stayed. "It started off physical, but then he started drinking. Alcohol always made it worse. It drove him to the point of insanity. He became so touchy about little things that would seem insignificant to anyone else. When I graduated college and got a really good job, Matt felt threatened by my success. He forced me to quit after only a few months working there to stay at home all day and take care of the house. If _anything_ was out of place when he got home from work, then I'd pay dearly for it."

I paused to swallowed the lump in my throat and Damon squeezed my hand in encouragement.

"I'll spare you the details, but fast forward five or so years of that and we get to the night that I left almost two months ago."

"You spent five years living through that?" He asked softly in shock.

I was more embarrassed of that fact than anything. Why couldn't I have just been strong enough to leave? Why would I stay and subject myself to that when nothing was holding me back from packing up and getting the hell out of there?

When Damon saw me cover my face with my hands as I once again started crying, he quickly moved forward and wrapped me in his arms. As I sniffled into his shirt, he said, "Elena, listen to me. I don't care what anyone says or even what you might think, you _are_ the strongest woman I've ever met. Don't discredit everything you've done simply because it took you a while to do it."

I nodded and pulled back to say, "It shouldn't have taken me that long to get out. When you're growing up, you always hear stories about abusive relationships and you don't think it will ever happen to you. I didn't even realize it was happening to me until I was in too deep."

"What's important is that now you're safe." Damon said with conviction. "He can't hurt you anymore, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure of it."

"I know." I told him, because I did know. I could see it in his eyes that there were no lengths he wouldn't go to to keep me safe. I took a deep breath, "So the night that I left. It started off just like any other night. I cooked his favorite dinner and it was all ready when he got home. I had done everything perfectly, and he was complimenting me and giving me hope that I was finally going to have a night where I didn't do something wrong. Until we finished dessert, and I took the bottle of wine into the kitchen, assuming he was finished with it. He snapped and started asking me if I thought he drank too much, and when I didn't give him the answer he wanted to hear he started throwing me against anything he knew would hurt me. I grabbed a knife from the table when I got away from him and started begging him not to do anything, but he easily took it from me and threw it on the ground. He wrestled me to the floor and started…choking me. I couldn't breathe, and it didn't look like he was going to get off of me any time soon. I found the knife he threw on the ground and stabbed him in the stomach. I didn't stick around long enough to find out what happened after that. I ran to my best friend's house, covered in blood and an absolute mess. She helped me get away from him and I just took a bus until I felt like I was far enough away. That just happened to be here."

He again pulled me into his arms, and this time I climbed into his lap where he buried his face in my neck. A few seconds later he pulled back to look me in the eye, and with such conviction said, "I love you, Elena. I will love you no matter what you tell me about yourself, your life, or your husband. You mean more to me than I ever imagined possible, and I can't tell you how sorry I am that I didn't listen to you when I found that mug shot. I know you could never kill someone on purpose, and that's why I did everything in my power to track you down today."

"I love you too." I whispered, leaning in to kiss him softly. "But that doesn't change the fact that Matt is looking for me. Who knows how close he is? He can do anything he wants because he's a cop, and if he comes here, I don't even want to think about what he'd do if he found out about you."

"We'll take it one day at a time, okay? We don't even know that he knows where you are, just that he's looking for you. In another month, he may not be any closer and he might give up. But for now, I don't want you to give up. Don't let him win."

All I could do to show him how much everything he was doing meant to me was to hug him tightly. This was what love was supposed to be; unconditional and understanding. Fear does not play any role in the relationship and the person makes you feel safe and happy. Damon did all of that. He was sitting there with me at my worst, embracing who I was and giving me reassurance that it didn't change how he felt about me. I didn't think I could love him anymore if I tried.

He whispered into my hair, "I am so proud of you, Elena. I want you to know how much respect I have for you and how happy I am that I met you. You changed my life for the better. You made me want something more. And I'm not going to let any of this change that."

I nuzzled my nose against his neck, "I can't tell you how much you mean to me and how much I love you for not immediately giving up on me when you found out about my past."

"I could never give up on you." He said firmly without a hint of hesitation.

Suddenly, all of my problems didn't seem as big. Damon was right; we don't know if Matt even knows where I am let alone if he'll find me, and he might even give up. I guess I'd have to deal with divorcing him someday, but that could wait. With any luck, my lawyer would never make me come face to face with him again.

As Damon rubbed his hand up and down my back, I began to believe that maybe we could do it. That we could build a life together without ever worrying about Matt becoming a problem. If he could have found me, he would have. That meant that he was failing miserably, and that gave me hope.

Hope that I could forget about my life before Damon. We had only known each other for two months, but that was more than enough time to fall in love, and the kind of love I felt for him wasn't like anything I'd felt before. Everything that I once felt for Matt paled in comparison, the emotions muddied by his hostility and the fact that I knew I could never love him the way I should love my husband.

My love for Damon was the kind that you felt deep down in your bones. When things got tough and it was put to the test, you knew it was worth fighting for. Maybe I hadn't fought for him as hard as I could have when he found out that I had been lying to him. I could barely string together a sentence long enough to explain myself through the shock, and even when I could he shut me down. I could have chased after him and begged him to let me explain, but the fear I felt in that moment was too great for me to comprehend that I was losing him, not to mention that my leaving would be the best decision for everyone. All that I could think of was that Matt was going to find me, and he was going to kill me.

It was only when I reached my little hovel that it registered that I lost Damon. All the pain that I felt wasn't because of Matt. He caused me enough of that to last a lifetime, and I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hurting me anymore. I was hurting because just when I admitted my love to Damon, it was harshly ripped away from me because of my own lies. It was arguable that I had a real reason to lie and conceal my identity, since I was technically on the run from police. If I had come right out and told Damon the truth about me, he probably never would have wanted to pursue me.

And honestly? Who could blame him? But as I sat curled up in his lap, surrounded by his scent, his arms, and his love, I was glad that I didn't take that chance. If I had done something differently, we might never have gotten to here, and this was worth everything. Not only did I love Damon more than life itself, but I loved his kids just as much. With his mother and Caroline thrown into the mix, my heart was busting at the seams with all of the love and acceptance I felt from them and for them.

I'd never felt happier than when I was here. I felt relaxed, loved, acknowledged, needed, appreciated, and most of all, I felt like I was finally home. Mystic Falls was where I grew up, and it would always hold a special place in my heart. My parents were there, after all, and Bonnie too. But it had more bad memories than good. So many that they clouded all of the good ones. Here in Bar Harbor, I didn't have any of that. My parents' deaths weren't looming over my head every time I passed a cemetery, and while my initial reason for coming here was Matt, I didn't associate him with this place.

All I had here were good memories, and that was something I'd never experienced before.

Damon scooted down in bed so we were both lying down, me half on top of him. We shared a few long, slow kisses before cuddling up to each other just to let everything sink in. Not much later I noticed Damon had drifted off, and if the dark circles under his eyes that I somehow hadn't noticed before were any indication, he didn't get much sleep last night either. I also noticed a crystal tumbler sitting on his nightstand, filled with hardly a single gulp of dark amber liquid that was either whiskey or bourbon. I wouldn't peg him as the type to drink rum or brandy, and I highly doubted he drank iced tea out of crystal ware.

It made me wonder how he spent the night, and what thoughts were running through his head. My heart clenched when I imagined him resorting to alcohol when all I'd ever seen him drink was wine or beer when he was with me. A brief shock of fear twisted in my gut when my instincts told me that a man who drinks was bad news, but I quickly soothed it. It was okay to drink alcohol as long as you didn't get drunk every night.

I snuggled myself further into his body if that was even possible and his arm unconsciously tightened around my shoulders. He didn't smell like booze at all, he just smelled like that intoxicating blend of leather and spice.

When I closed my eyes, I almost instantly fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

Here is the second chapter of the morning, so make sure you go back and read 15.

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

Matt didn't know what to do anymore. He didn't know where to go. Hell, he _had_ nowhere to go. He ran out of options, especially without his badge, and he's been spending his days drinking himself unconscious only to wake up and do it all again the next day. He was as good as any other nobody in this godforsaken town, and he hated it.

Without any access to his police work, he had no means of finding Elena aside from using the internet, but that proved useless. Her social media accounts have been completely dead just as her bank accounts have. He was utterly, and completely lost.

However, with as much down time as he had he began going over that night. He had been so angry that she accused him of having a drinking problem…he lost control of himself. He would never hurt her seriously, but she hurt him. She put him in the hospital. Everything was pretty foggy after that, but he managed to call 911.

There was no way that Elena was able to run away from him without someone's help. She left _everything_ , clothes, car, phone, and purse included. She didn't have any money with her, or any way to call someone for help. How could she buy a bus ticket with no money?

Easy, someone gave her money. That realization was what kept him going. He started with all of his friends' wives, asking them if they'd seen Elena recently, but that was a dead end. None of them had any idea she was missing or suspected anything was wrong, so he lied and said that she was probably driving and couldn't answer the phone, which is why he hadn't heard from her.

She didn't have any family left in this town, but then it dawned on him. She had a best friend in high school that she moved in with before college. Bonnie Bennett. He never liked the girl; she was a judgmental bitch. She fed Elena lies about him and told her all sorts of things to make her leave him, so naturally he banned Elena from ever seeing her again.

But who better to go to than someone that never liked him? She would have helped Elena out in a second. The only issue now was finding out if it was true. He could go over there and ask her, but she hated him. She'd deny it until she was blue in the face, and without his badge, he'd have no way of making her talk. He couldn't bring her in to the station and question her under oath, and he couldn't threaten her with arrest. He was useless without his badge, and even more so without Elena.

After coming to the conclusion that it had to have been Bonnie that helped Elena run away, Matt decided to take things into his own hands. If nobody would cooperate with him, then he'd work alone. He spent days, weeks, even, watching the bitch, memorizing her schedule. She lived just down the street from he and Elena, which meant that it would have been easy for Elena to run there after leaving.

She worked your average forty hour week, eight hour weekdays and she had weekends off. She was an elementary school special needs teacher, and even better, she lived alone. Even though it was summer, she was still going to the schools to help her special needs students that attended class year round. So he waited in his car parked down the street from her house, watching until she left for work. It was daylight when she left, which wasn't ideal, but if anyone saw him he'd say that his wife and Bonnie wre friends and she left her phone in the house.

He waited ten minutes after she left to make sure she didn't come back, and then he made his move. He walked up her porch steps to the front door and with his lock picking kit, he began working the door knob. He had this all planned out. Bonnie's house didn't have a security system, because the crime rate in Mystic Falls was so low. It was a safe town, and people trusted each other. It only took him five minutes to get the lock open. He had spent an extensive amount of time learning how to pick a lock. He just knew that if he could find something in her house that proved Elena was there, he could get her to tell her where she was. Or better yet, maybe she left behind some clue that would tell him where Elena went.

Matt gingerly closed the door behind him, as if he didn't want anyone to hear even though he knew no one was home. Luckily Bonnie didn't have any pets either, which meant he didn't have to worry about being mauled by a dog.

Starting his search upstairs in her bedroom and bathroom, he looked through everything. Drawers, closets, trashcans, cupboards, desks, boxes under the bed, but there was nothing useful anywhere. He didn't give up hope yet though, and he went downstairs to search everywhere there too. He looked in filing cabinets in the office, searching for any documents related to Elena, but still, nothing. Her mail held no answers either, and he even found her computer unlocked and searched through every last file on there, including her email and social media accounts. He thought he hit a lucky break with her computer, but still, he couldn't find a damn thing.

Frustrated beyond belief, Matt resisted every urge he had to trash everything in his path. This wasn't his house, and Bonnie would know if anything was out of place. If she thought someone broke in, it wouldn't be too hard to pinpoint him as a suspect. Especially if she helped Elena.

Just when Matt was about to give up, he spotted Bonnie's landline phone in the kitchen. He wondered why she even had one still, what with cell phones nowadays, but he figured it couldn't hurt. He walked over to it and pressed the flashing red button to listen to the messages.

 _Two new messages._

The first one was a spam call about winning a free vacation, and the second one was a reminder about a doctor's appointment. Matt then decided to go through all of the ones she'd listened to, finding that there were quite a few. Mostly they were scam calls or from her parents, until he reached one in particular. He nearly fell to the floor when he heard Elena's voice through the speakers. He could have cried with happiness and relief, that he finally caught his break. He _finally_ found her.

He searched her kitchen drawers for a pen and scribbled down the phone number caller ID picked up. He couldn't believe he found her. After silencing the machine and giving the room a once over to make sure it still looked the same, he locked the front door behind him as he left. He raced back to his car as fast as he could with the number written clearly on his hand, and he pulled out his phone. He dialed the number, but hesitated before hitting call. If Elena answered, then she'd know he found her. She'd leave wherever she was, and he'd be back to square one.

Instead, he decided to search the phone number. The area code was one he didn't recognize, but sure enough it pulled up a restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine. The Grill. He ran a hand over his face, grinning widely.

He found her. It didn't take more than a second's thought to turn on his car, throw it into drive, and begin driving north.

* * *

I never realized how good it would feel not to have anymore secrets to hide after years of doing just that. First I hid my emotions when my parents died, like feeling like I was going to fall apart was a bad thing that no one should see. Then I hid my relationship with Matt, or at least the extent of what happened behind closed doors. And I hid what had happened after that from everyone in Bar Harbor, arguably for a good reason.

But with at least one person knowing the truth, I felt so much better. Safer, even, knowing that someone else would be able to keep an eye out for anything strange. I wasn't alone anymore, and that was the best feeling of all.

Sliding my hand into Damon's as we walked down towards the marina, I asked, "Will you tell me where you're taking me now?"

"You'll see soon enough." He told me with a smirk at my impatience.

"Well, judging by the direction in which we're heading, I can only assume it has something to do with boats. Please tell me we're not going fishing. We both know that I'm hopeless when it comes to hooking bait." I laughed.

He chuckled, "No, we're not going fishing. Trust me, I know how hopeless you are."

"But it does have something to do with boats?"

"Yes." He confirmed. "Now stop asking questions before you ruin the surprise."

I rolled my eyes and we walked though the docks. People everywhere were on their boats, getting ready to go out on the ocean or just coming back. In the middle of summer, it was the busiest it'll be all year. I was curious which boat Damon was going to take me to. He had mentioned his love of sailing before, and since we weren't going fishing, I was excited to see him in his element, doing something he enjoys, assuming that's what we were doing.

Finally we stopped in front of a small white sailboat, and Damon gestured to it. "I hope you don't get seasick."

I smirked, "Stomach of steel right here."

Rolling his eyes, he gave me a hand onto the main deck and I sat down on the bench while I watched him untie the ropes anchoring it to the dock. Once it was free, he hopped on board and landed a kiss on my lips before starting the engine.

I frowned, "If this is a sailboat, why is there an engine?"

He gave me a pointed look, "How are we supposed to actually get out onto the water without a way to steer it accurately? I mean, I can try to use to the wind, but any boats we hit in the process are coming out of your paycheck."

I playfully scowled, "Shut up, I'm new at this!"

He just laughed and shook his head. I sat back and relaxed as he steered us out of the marina and into the ocean. The salty air blew through my hair, whipping it around wildly until I decided to put it in a braid to keep it out of my face. Damon looked so comfortable and happy as he opened the sails and they caught the wind. He steered us around the water once the engine was shut off, always careful to keep the shoreline in the distance, while we talked and laughed like there wasn't a single problem in this world.

There was just something about the way he looked that made me smile. He was wearing a gray Henley shirt rolled up around his biceps and dark jeans, and despite the sweltering temperature of summer being out on the ocean was much cooler. The wind was blowing through his dark hair and the matching stubble dusting his jaw showed that he hadn't shaved in a few days. But I think my favorite part was the smile on his face as he taught me how to sail the boat on my own. It was all a lot more complicated than I thought, and truthfully was not my thing, but I'd do anything to see him smile like that.

It was one of those grins that stretched ear to ear, showing off every tooth and making the corners of his eyes scrunch up. It made my insides swirl around happily and my heart tingle with love. His smile touched the deepest parts of me, lighting up the darkest corners.

He made me feel like I was walking on top of the world. Like I could do anything, and I _wanted_ to do everything because of him.

We sailed late into the evening, and Damon surprised me yet again by proving how thoughtful he was. He made us dinner before hand, and in the small cabin below deck there was a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette where he could finish cooking everything.

I wasn't used to being treated like a princess, like I was actually worth something to him. It was a good feeling though, to feel so loved and worshipped by the man that I loved just as much.

He had dropped the sails so were sitting still on the calm ocean, and while he finished up dinner I laid out a blanket on the deck where we could sit since there wasn't really a table anywhere. We sat down with plates of the best pasta I had ever tasted along with fresh fruit, which Damon insisted on feeding to me. I felt ridiculous doing it, until I realized how much he was enjoying it. He popped open a bottle of champagne after our meal was finished, and revealed another container of chocolate covered strawberries.

"What's the occasion?" I asked with a confused smile as I took one of the flutes of champagne from him.

He shrugged, "Does there have to be an occasion to celebrate? Maybe I just wanted to show you how much I love you."

I knew it shouldn't have, but something about his answer rubbed me the wrong way. I knew that he literally just meant what he said, but my paranoia got the better of me.

"You're not doing this just because of everything I told you, right? Because I don't need your pity just because you know I had a horrible past. I know that there are a lot of things I'm not used to as far as relationships go, but—"

"Elena, wait." He interrupted me. "You think I'm doing all of this because I pity you?" Something about the way he said that made me feel stupid for ever thinking that, but all I could do was shrug shyly. He sighed and set down his drink, lifting my chin so he could look at me. His hand felt so warm and comforting on my face, and the guilt of my accusation began setting in when I saw the strained look on his face. "Elena, your past doesn't change the way I look at you. You're still the same beautiful, vibrant, smart woman that I met the day you showed up in my store. I know that you're not used to having a relationship like this, but that's okay. I love you either way. All you have to do is talk to me about something that makes you uncomfortable and I'll do my best to fix it, okay?"

I nodded, thinking that he shouldn't have to deal with someone like me. I was so damaged I couldn't even let him take me out on a nice date without automatically assuming it was out of pity.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, worrying my lower lip.

He tucked one of the long loose strands of hair that escaped my braid behind my ear and smiled, "I promise you, it's okay. We're okay."

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I closed my eyes and relaxed in his embrace. He rubbed soothing patterns up and down my back while we sat there silently, just enjoying each other's company.

A few long minutes later Damon asked, "What do you say to those strawberries now? I've got a particularly hot fantasy of your lips wrapped around one of them…"

As he wiggled his brows and I reflexively laughed, I'd never been more confident that Damon was the only man for me. Who knew that by coming here to escape my husband, I would have found my soulmate?

He reached for a strawberry and held it out for me to eat, and I made sure to put on a show for him by swirling my tongue around it and sucking the chocolate off. I couldn't tell you how many times that repeated with Damon so enraptured by my mouth that not even my giggles could break his dark stare.

Eventually I took mercy on him and placed my hand on the back of his neck, pulling him down into a kiss. He instantly abandoned the strawberries and crawled on top of me, pushing me down onto my back and bracing his weight on one elbow. His other hand landed on my hip as his tongue worked its way into my mouth, intertwining with my own.

He playfully squeezed my side and I giggled, squirming away from his tickling fingers, though he followed me anywhere I went. Eventually I ended up on top of him, straddling his hips so his hardness was pressed against my center and my hands were pinning his above his head while we kissed. Well, 'kissed' might have been an overstatement. It was more like laughing and smiling against each other's mouths.

When I pulled back to look at him, I rubbed my thumb against his cheekbone and said, "Thank you for taking me out tonight. All of the times you've taken me out, really. Thank you for loving me and letting me feel just how much you love me, and I want you to know that I trust you. More than anyone."

He smiled, "I love you more than words can describe, Elena. Loving you this deeply and knowing you feel the same way has been a reward enough."

I smiled and leaned down to kiss him again. It started off slow, but as soon as Damon got his hands under my shirt our kisses turned hungry and desperate. He sat up with me in his lap and pulled my shirt over my head, hushing my protests about someone seeing by picking me up and carrying me down into the small bedroom below.

He removed his own shirt and jeans before joining me on the bed, stripping me of my shorts and panties in one motion. My bra soon followed, and using my toes I pulled his boxers down his legs while he sucked and nipped at my pulse point.

He thrust into me quickly, setting a fast pace that had us both panting and moaning. I dragged my nails down his bare back as he drove into me, taking me to new heights I never knew existed before him. I clutched his shoulder for support with one hand while I tangled my fingers of the other in his hair, urging him to keep sucking at every sensitive spot on my neck.

We found our releases together and fell into each other in a heap of sweaty bodies and loving caresses. Damon pressed kiss after kiss into my hair while enveloping me in his strong arms, making me feel more important than I've ever felt before.

Without a doubt, I would love this man until the day I died.


	17. Chapter 17

Third chapter of the day so read 15 and 16 first! I plan on posting another later tonight as well, if not then tomorrow morning for sure.

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

Looking out to the ocean of the small coastal town, Matt threw back a gulp of vodka from the glass bottle. He couldn't see the appeal of a town like this. The birds were too loud, making his hungover head pound, the air was too salty, burning his dry throat, and any people he saw he instantly knew were nobodies. This place was boring, though he supposed if Elena was trying to escape him, and small place like this would be perfect.

Stepping out of his car, the sound of seagulls squawking only intensified and he instinctively took another long drink of the vodka, only to realize that he couldn't go around drinking straight from the bottle. He scowled and threw it back in his car, cursing himself for forgetting his plastic bottle at the last gas station.

Spotting a sign for a general store a few hundred yards away, he began walking towards it. His shirt was sticking to his skin with sweat, he had dark circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep, and he felt like hell, but all he had to do was get some more alcohol into him. That would make him feel better, and then he could start looking for Elena.

He had seen signs all over the place about the Fourth of July festival today, complete with a parade, live music, and fireworks. The parade had actually prevented him from driving into town since the roads were closed, hence why he was off in the middle of nowhere with hardly any people in sight.

Throwing open the door to the shop, he was disappointed to feel that there was no air conditioning. He was already hot enough, and this weather wasn't helping. Marching to the fridge in the back, he grabbed a bottle of water then made his way to the front.

He hadn't been expecting to see such a young girl sitting behind the counter, playing with her doll. She had set it down next to the register when he approached, and she said, "Hi, is that all today?"

Frowning at the lack of supervision, he asked, "Is there an adult around?"

She shook her head, "No, my uncle is outside, but I can help you."

Accepting that this was the best he could get, he asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"One dollar." She said in a small voice, looking up at him as if he was ten feet tall.

He handed her a dollar bill from his wallet and decided to take advantage of the honesty that comes with little kids. "What's your name?"

"Mia." She answered in the same voice.

"Well Mia, I'm here looking for someone. You see, I'm a police officer." He dug out the folded up picture of Elena and showed it to her. "Do you know this woman?"

She made no expression as she looked at the paper and said, "No."

He narrowed his eyes, "You shouldn't lie to a police officer, Mia. Now, are you sure you've never seen her before?"

She nodded, "I'm sure."

Sighing, Matt stuffed the photo back into his pocket and thanked her before grabbing his water bottle. He shoved open the door when it got stuck, nearly knocking into a man walking towards the door with dark hair, but he paid him no mind, nor the dirty look he gave him for being so rude.

Matt immediately went for his car and found the bottle of vodka. He dumped the water out into the grass from the plastic bottle, then carefully filled it up, making sure he didn't spill a single drop. Only when he had it filled to the brim did he feel the familiar comfort that alcohol always promised.

He downed a few more gulps from the glass bottle before throwing the empty trash into the backseat. Now, he could look for Elena. With the festival going on, he'd assume that she'd be joining in like every other person in this Podunk town.

Making his way to the parade, he decided to start there where the most people were at. Every head of long brown hair caught his eye, and every time he was disappointed. He pulled at the shoulders of women to spin them around so he could see their faces, but none of them were ever her. He paced through the crowds, not even paying a second of attention to the floats moving down the street.

He looked all over, both sides of the street too, drinking his vodka to dull his growing frustration. His failure to find her was getting to the better of him, and after guzzling the last of his vodka he needed more. After the parade had ended and everybody started leaving, he decided to stop in a bar to restock and hang around in the air conditioning. After a few drinks, he'd get back out there and start searching again. Just a few drinks, so he wasn't so drunk he couldn't focus, but he wasn't so sober that he was miserable.

* * *

"Elena, hurry up! We're gonna miss the parade!" Alex complained from my kitchen where he, Mia, and Damon were waiting for me to finish getting ready. Despite the holiday festivities, I still had to work, but Caroline granted me the afternoon off so I could spend it with my three favorite people in the world. After stopping at the shop to check on everything and make sure Lily was alright to man the store for the day, they came over to my place.

I pushed my diamond studs through my ears then straightened out my blue tank top with red shorts. Damon insisted that we all dress according to the holiday, which meant any color besides red, white, and blue were unacceptable. As I walked out of my room I said, "Okay, I'm ready."

Mia shot up from where she was sitting on the bright bluish green floor and rocketed towards me, her white dress with blue and red stars flowing around her knees behind her. She wrapped her arms around my legs and started enthusing about the parade, telling me what she wanted to see and her favorite floats. Apparently there was a float dedicated to the wildlife around the area, and they had a real otter that rode on it.

I straightened out her American flag bow that was tied around her ponytail as I smiled down at her, "Wow, a real otter?"

She nodded furiously, "Yeah! But we gotsta go now!"

I rolled my eyes along with Damon as he greeted me with a quick kiss. "I've been telling them for hours that the parade is late to start every year, but do they listen?"

"Of course not." I said with a laugh.

"Uncle Damon can we go now?" Alex whined again, and Mia joined in.

"I wanna see the otters!"

"Go get in the car you two troublemakers." Damon told them, and they immediately bolted from my house and out to the car. "Now that we're alone…" Damon smirked, leaning in to capture my lips in a proper kiss. I looped my arms around his neck as his tongue slithered into my mouth, tangling with my own.

I let out a soft, involuntary moan that in turn caused Damon to groan, and then we separated knowing if we didn't, we wouldn't be able to stop. Our foreheads touching, I teased, "With a greeting like that, you'd think we'd been apart for months, not hours."

He chuckled and landed one more chaste kiss on my lips before grabbing my hand and tugging me towards the door. "If you think that was bad, just wait until I get you alone tonight…" His brows wiggled across his forehead and that sexy smirk of his curled at his lips.

"What have you got planned?" I asked with a smirk of my own.

"Planned?" Damon echoed, then scoffed. "Plans are lame. We're gonna do whatever we want."

As I locked my door, I asked, "Like what?" I moved my hand to his back as we walked to the car, sliding it down to his ass and giving it a squeeze where the kids wouldn't see. "Something like this?"

"Just you wait. I've got all sorts of ideas going through my head." He flared his eyes, dropping into the drivers seat and successfully ending that conversation.

The drive into town was short, barely even five minutes, yet Alex and Mia argued the entire time over which tape to play in the car. Not even Damon and I explaining that there wouldn't even be time to listen to it could deter them from going at each other's throats. Luckily, just as Mia was on the verge of a meltdown we arrived and Damon shut the car off.

In order to fix her mood, Damon offered her a ride on his shoulders so she could watch the parade from up high, and she quickly demanded that it happen. My hands were reserved for Alex's and Damon's as we entered the crowd, trying to secure the best spots we could. Luckily, some people let us up to the front near the guard rail because Alex was too big to hold but too short to see over everybody else.

I was kind of amazed by how many people said hello to Damon and his family. I hadn't realized that he knew that many people. I even saw a few regular customers from The Grill that said hello to me, and the closeness really made me appreciate this town all the more. It was a lot like Mystic Falls in that sense. Except, there wasn't an elitist council of founding families and all that bullshit where we get treated like royalty. That was definitely a plus.

The parade started ten minutes after we arrived, half an hour late just as Damon had predicted. His arm was wrapped around my waist while Alex stood a few feet in front of us with a couple other kids that were too short to see over the people. Mia sat tall atop his shoulders, squealing about all of the floats while Damon and I tuned out her babble for the most part and just made small talk.

Once Mia got to see the otter float, she grew bored and demanded other entertainment. I volunteered to take her into a nearby ice cream shop so we could all get a snack while Damon stuck behind with Alex to finished watching the parade. With Mia's hand in mine while she skipped down the sidewalk, I could only think about how happy I was. Everything was absolutely perfect, and I haven't been able to say that since before my parents died.

That's _ten years_.

And in _two months_ , Damon and his family have managed to make me happier than words can explain. I felt like I was smiling all the time, a grin permanently ingrained on my face. My heart didn't feel empty anymore; instead it felt like it was about to burst at the seams with all of the love I could feel.

Things have never been better, which was exactly why I had a feeling it was all going to come crashing down soon. Nothing lasts forever, especially with a past like mine still haunting my present.

I lifted Mia into my arms so she could see all of the ice cream options, and she settled on cotton candy with pieces of chocolate in it. I ordered chocolate covered strawberry with graham crackers for myself. We watched as the girl behind the counter scooped up Mia's colorful pink and blue ice cream and dropped it onto the cold plate and added chocolate shavings to it. Then with the metal paddles, she began mixing it all together before scraping it up into a paper cup. She did the same with mine, then after I paid for it we sat down at a table by the window.

"How is it?" I asked Mia after she had eaten a few bites.

"Good." She grinned, pink ice cream dripping down her chin. "Are you gonna marry Uncle Damon?"

Where the hell did _that_ come from!?

Momentarily choking on the bite I had just tried to swallowed, I managed, "I don't know, sweetie, I've only known him for a couple months."

"But the princess always marries the prince in the end, right?"

"Usually," I allowed, "But I'm not a princess and your uncle's not a prince."

"So you're not gonna get married?" She asked quietly, looking dangerously close to tears.

I was _so_ not prepared enough to have this conversation with a four year old, of all people. Trying to find my words as quickly as possible, I started, "Not today or anytime soon, Mia, but I love your uncle very much. And I love you, and Alex too. I will be around as long as you want me around, and maybe if enough time passes and I'm still in love with Damon, then we might get married."

Marriage to Damon? That was a thought that did all sorts of fluttery things to my stomach and heart. Both the good kind, and the bad kind. I was still legally married, after all, to another man, and marriage was the _last_ thing on my mind. Actually, I should probably start thinking about divorce…but that could wait. For a _long_ time, until I knew without a doubt that Matt was not close to finding me. Only then could I deal with that entire mess.

At least Damon knew the entire truth now, and he would be there for me no matter what happened. I loved him more than I ever loved anybody.

Mia was quiet for a long moment, eating her ice cream, until she said, "I love you too, Elena. I hope you're always here!"

I smiled to myself just as the bell on the door rang and Damon walked in with Alex. After stopping to see what we got, they ordered their own ice cream. Strawberry mixed with vanilla for Alex and coffee crunch for Damon. Scooting a chair closer to mine, Damon sat down with his ice cream cone in one hand and the other around the back of my chair as we watched the two kids eat. I leaned into his side and rested my head on his shoulder.

He kissed my forehead when I looked up at him and I scrunched up my face, "Don't get my forehead all sticky with your ice cream mouth!"

He almost looked offended by my words as he scoffed, "Hey, I'm a neat eater. You should be worried about getting sticky if its one of them that's kissing you."

I looked between Alex and Mia's horribly messy faces and laughed softly, "Fair enough."

After we finished and got everyone cleaned up, we headed down to a park by the pier where they were having food trucks, live music, dancing, and games. Damon and I took them around each booth and they threw baseballs at milk jugs, tossed ping pong balls into fish bowls, and threw rings onto bottles until they each had their own stuffed animal to take home. Mia with a pink horse and Alex with a huge turtle.

Damon then bought them some specialty pizza slices from one of the trucks and we shared a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Damon's mom joined us while we were eating and got her own sandwich for dinner. We made small talk for the most part, the kids leading the conversation.

"…and then Abby's mom let us put anything we wanted on it!" Mia finished her story about the time she and her friend got to make their own pizzas.

"What did you put on yours?" I asked.

"Cheese, and pep'roni, and these green thingies."

"Green peppers." Damon clarified.

"You like green peppers?" I asked, surprised that a kid liked anything in the vegetable category.

But she confirmed, "And the red ones!"

"I didn't like any vegetables when I was kid." I said, looking between Damon and Lily.

They both just shrugged and Lily said, "It's the strangest thing. Alex hates them, but she could eat a salad every day." Leaning over to tickle her sides, Lily continued, "Just like a little rabbit, huh?"

Mia squealed and slapped her grandma's hands away from her sides, "Bunnies eat carrots and lettuce just like me!"

"Carrots are gross!" Alex scrunched up his face.

"Nuh uh!" Mia argued. "They make your eyes good!"

As they descended into a conversation about which vegetables they liked and didn't, Lily began, "You know Alex's birthday's coming up next month, right Damon?"

He rolled his eyes, "Of course I know. He wants his party on the beach."

"With all of his friends?" She asked.

"I'd assume." Damon replied shortly, making me frown. Why were they acting like his birthday was some sort of forbidden day or something they weren't looking forward to?

"He's turning eight, right?" I questioned, hoping to get to the bottom of it.

"Yeah." Lily smiled. "It sure doesn't feel like it's been that long since he was born."

A sad look crossed her face that tugged at my heartstrings as I considered the son she may as well have lost. I couldn't imagine the pain of watching your child lose themselves only to up and leave one day.

"So what does he want for his birthday?" I asked, hoping to lighten the mood. "He likes Transformers, right?"

However, my question did nothing but make them both look even more solemn. Damon shared a look with his mom before he whispered to me, "Every year, he asks for the same thing. For his dad to come home. And every year, he's disappointed. He writes him a letter and we mail it, and Stefan tries to send one back in time for his birthday, but it's nothing compared to him actually being here. It's a tough day for us all."

"I'm sorry…" I breathed, my chest constricting at the thought of that sweet boy wanting nothing more than for his father to actually be a father to him. His mother abandoned him, his father left with no promise of ever returning, and he was old enough to know the gist of what was happening.

"Don't be." Damon smiled sadly. "It's not your fault." He glanced at his mom who had the same sad expression on her face then back at me. "All we can do now is make sure he knows he's loved and give him whatever we can."

I brushed one of his long strands of hair away from his face and trailed my fingers behind his ear. He leaned into my touch and I rubbed my thumb over the whorls of his upper ear. "You are one amazing man, Damon Salvatore."

The look of pure adoration and happiness on his face as he took me in was more than enough to make all of this worth it. Hurting Matt, running from him, putting myself on a wanted for murder list—all of it.

"Not as amazing as you are." He said so sincerely that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. Our lips met in a brief kiss for the sake of our audience, but it was filled with promise of what was to come later.

When I turned back to the table, Lily was smiling at us so widely that it was contagious. Damon rested his chin on my shoulder as he handed me his phone to show me what he wanted to do for Alex's birthday but ended up scrolling through all of the pictures of Alex and Mia instead. There were thousands, and when I asked why he took so many, all he said was that he wanted to remember everything. I had a feeling that the glimmer of sorrow in his eyes wanted to say that it was so when his brother came home, he'd have pictures of his kids' childhoods to look at since he missed them, but I couldn't bring myself to feel sorry for Stefan. This was all of his doing, and it was his fault that he was missing everything.

Thirty minutes later, I came across the pictures that we took on the beach. I had never seen myself smiling so widely. I sat in the wet sand with Mia as the tide washed away her attempts at digging a huge hole. Damon held Mia in his arms with Alex smiling by his side. Alex and I were riding the waves to the shore in the water. Then there were some candid pictures that some random people took while we were all figuring out how to pose for the picture. Damon and I were grinning at each other, Mia was wrapped around my leg, her feet not even touching the sand, and Alex was pouting about god knows what.

When we finished eating, Lily told us that she could watch the kids for an hour or so to give Damon and I some time alone. She was our biggest supporter in our relationship, by far. Anyone with eyes could see how her face lit up when she saw how happy Damon was, and the fact that it was because of me was just icing on top of the cake.

Damon then led me onto the dance floor and after I teased him for claiming to know how to dance, he proved me wrong. He was actually a really good dancer, of any kind. He swung me around and twirled me into his body over and over while I laughed every time. We moved to the beat of the country music and Damon pulled me close to lead me in some slightly inappropriate dirty dancing given our setting. Needless to say, I blushed wildly when he grabbed my ass and all he could do was laugh at me.

The song ended and faded into a slower tune, and everyone found a partner to dance with. Damon's arm wrapped securely around my waist, holding me flush against him while we softly swayed to the gentle music. It was just an acoustic guitar playing some sort of love song I didn't recognize.

His right hand holding my left, I placed my other arm around his shoulder and nestled my head in the crook of his neck. We stayed silent for the moment, just content with breathing each other in to the sound of the music. I lifted my head a little to whisper in his ear, "I love you." I kissed the space right below his ear and trailed a few more down his neck, earning a soft growl that mostly stayed in his chest.

Once again, I got the feeling that everything was too good to be true. Something was going to happen sooner rather than later, and I was fully expecting it. Whether I would get arrested for that false wanted notice or if he found me, it was going to happen. I just knew that deep down, Matt wouldn't give up so easily. It was the strangest, most unsettling feeling, and I wished more than anything that it would go away, but even as Damon returned his words of love and sealed them with a long, slow kiss it remained.


	18. Chapter 18

Last update for tonight! There will be more in the morning. Make sure you've read the three previous chapters!

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

As the slow song we were dancing to ended, Mia materialized out of nowhere and managed to wedge herself between us. Lily sent us an apologetic smile from the edge of the makeshift dance floor and said, "I held her off as long as I could! Alex is with some friends!"

We both waved her off and Damon picked up Mia in his arms and held my hand with his free one. We danced to the upbeat music for a few songs before Mia was reaching for me, wanting to be held. Damon managed to still dance with me, twirling the two of us around before he'd tug us back to him and kiss me on the lips and Mia on the cheek. I'd sneak in kisses of my own to the both of them, though admittedly Mia seemed to receive more.

And when the band played another slow song, Damon pulled us close with his arms around my waist. Mia snuggled between us as we danced, and once again I was thankful to have found this family that took me in wholeheartedly without a second thought. I felt Damon's hands slip beneath my shirt on my lower back and I let out a contented sigh against his neck. A giggle broke through the calmness I was feeling and I cracked open an eye to see Mia covering Damon's mouth with her hand as he made a silly face at her. I lifted my head and smiled at them, "You're ruining the moment, Damon."

"Hey, she's the one squished between us!" Damon said playfully, tapping Mia's little nose so she scrunched it up.

"You're ruinin' the moment, Damon!" She said in faux anger, mimicking me.

Damon looked up to the sky, "What did I get myself into?"

"A dance with the two prettiest girls in the world?" I offered innocently. "Doesn't sound so bad, if you ask me."

"Yeah, not so bad!" Mia chided, and it sounded ridiculous coming from a four year old girl with a big bow in her chocolate hair.

Damon chuckled, "I guess not. Can I get a kiss from the cutest little girl in the world?"

As Mia leaned up to kiss his cheek, Damon winked at me, making my insides feel all warm and fuzzy. We danced until the sun set and it grew dark and the band finished playing the last song of the night.

The three of us found Alex and Lily before Damon reluctantly allowed Alex to come with him to help set off fireworks. Lily was meeting up with some of her friends, so that left Mia and I to watch the fireworks. We found a spot by the water where we could sit alone while still keeping Damon and Alex in our sight. He met up with some of his friends, the sheriff included, and they were all sitting on the end of a dock with boxes and explosives ready to be set up.

Mia began drifting off in my arms, but perked up a little at the sound of the first firework. We watched as the brightly colored flames streaked across the sky in huge patterns and shapes of just about anything you could think of. She smiled widely at the pink ones and the gold ones that glittered and crackled as they sizzled through the sky. Those were always my favorite ones.

"When can I help Uncle Damon with the fi'works?" Mia asked me excitedly, shouting because she was wearing headphones.

"How about when you're Alex's age? They can be dangerous for little kids."

"I'm not little!" She argued stubbornly, pouting at me.

I grinned, "Of course not, baby, you're a big girl. But you wouldn't want to get hurt, would you?" She shook her head. "Then let's wait until you turn seven to help with the fireworks, okay?"

"Okay." She agreed reluctantly, letting out a little huff that was far too sassy for her age.

Changing the subject before she could sulk some more, I asked, "Did you have fun today?"

"Lots." She answered, dropping her head to the crook of my neck and turning so she could still watch the show. "I like it when you hold me." She murmured softly.

I kissed her hairline through a smile, and as she started getting tired she kept startling at the sound of each firework. Eventually her exhaustion won out and she fell asleep, no longer jolting at each brightly colored explosion that went off.

I held her there for a few more moments before deciding to take her to the car that was parked only a few feet away in a small church's parking lot. I opened the door and pushed the front seat down so she could get into the back to lay down. Luckily the top to the Camaro was already up, so she wouldn't get cold even in the warm night air.

"Elena."

My blood ran cold and my entire body froze at the sound of my name being called from behind me. My heart began beating so fast that I was sure it was going to explode. My hands shaking, I whispered to a sleepy looking Mia who had stirred awake, "Stay here, and promise me you won't get out for anything, okay?"

Having no clue what was going on, she nodded and closed her eyes again. I swallowed thickly before closing the car door and turning around to face the man behind the voice that just ruined my only shred of happiness.

He looked wrecked, if that could even describe it. Fear sunk its claws deep into my chest at just the sight of him in person, but seeing the despondent look of intoxication swimming in his cold, dead eyes sent that horror into a full blown panic.

My first instinct was to protect Mia, so I stepped away from the car, moving slowly so as not to alarm him. His shirt was stained with sweat, he hadn't shaved in days, probably weeks, and his hair was anything but the neat style he usually wore it in. Dark circles were painted beneath his eyes and his face looked shiny with sweat. His eyes were locked onto me, but I could tell that he was struggling to do so.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, wrapping my arms around myself as if that would protect me from him.

He took a step towards me and I instinctively took one step back, and he dropped his gaze to the ground. "I finally found you." He murmured, glancing up at me again.

"I didn't want you to find me." I told him firmly, not allowing any of my fear slip into my voice. The sound of fireworks still boomed around us, but they were nothing compared to the hammering in my chest.

He shook his head, "I know you didn't mean it, Elena, you didn't mean to hurt me. It's okay."

"No, Matt, it's not okay." I nearly snapped. "I wouldn't have had to hurt you if you didn't hurt me first."

His sad eyes raised to mine, "I never hurt you, Elena, never."

I knew better than to think I could talk some sense into him. I've played that game far longer than I cared to admit, and I knew better than anyone that it was pointless. I've tried to ask him not to hurt me, to just treat me with the respect that I deserved, but it never worked. Actually, all it did was make him hurt me more.

"You need to leave." I said calmly. The look of alarm in his eyes spiked my own, but he wouldn't do anything when we were in public where anyone could walk by and see. "You hurt me with your words and your hands, and I left for a reason."

He moved closer to me, and this time I made myself stay rooted to my spot. The second I showed any sign of fear, he would seize the opportunity. Inwardly, I was a sobbing mess begging for my life. Outwardly, I hoped I looked like someone strong enough that she overcame an abusive relationship.

"I'm sorry…" He breathed. "I just wanted what was best for us. We can still be together, Elena, I love you…"

"If you loved me, you wouldn't have put me in the hospital with a broken wrist." I pointed out, yet I got no reaction. I pressed on, "You wouldn't have bruised me so badly that I had to wear long sleeved shirts in the middle of summer. You wouldn't have told me I was worthless and yelled at me every time I forgot to put a spatula in the right drawer. That time that I accidentally spilled wine on my white shirt that you bought me and ruined it wouldn't have gotten me a dislocated shoulder."

He looked around exasperatedly, like he couldn't argue with anything I said yet it wasn't enough to make him change. I couldn't fathom how I ever loved this man enough to marry him. As I looked at him now, all I felt was pain, sadness, and fear. He was the source of my misery for years, and I loathed everything about him. I couldn't even feel reminiscent for the love we once shared, because it was tainted by the abuse I suffered through ever since we got married. He was nothing to me. He held nothing over me. Maybe he still had the ability to elicit fear unlike anything else, but that was only because I knew what he was capable of.

As I racked my brain for a way to get out of this, to get him to leave, all I could think of was getting someone's attention. Anyone. Preferably Damon, but that wasn't looking too viable right now. I really didn't want him anywhere near Matt anyways.

This was exactly what I had been afraid of ever since I let myself get close to Damon and his family. Matt was here, he was dangerous, and I had no idea how to get out of this mess without someone getting hurt.

But then I realized something. Damon hurting emotionally was better than him ending up dead. I would do whatever it took to keep him and his family safe.

Matt's mouth twitched in anger, a sign that I came to recognize as him getting close to snapping. "I wouldn't have had to do all those things if you hadn't defied me like you did! You learned your lesson, didn't you? You never misplaced anything again, and you were better for it!"

One wrong move, and it would be over. He would break and do something irreversible. With that knowledge in mind, I did the only thing I could think of that wouldn't piss him off.

I hugged him.

Swallowing back every ounce of vomit that wanted to come up at the thought of going back to him, I didn't let go. I breathed a sigh of relief when his arms went around me. If I could occupy him long enough, then I could get help.

"I'm sorry for running like I did, Matty, I was just scared. Why don't you go get your car and we'll go home?" I tried, ignoring the way he reeked like sweat and booze.

"I saw you kissing him." He said quietly, anger lying just beneath the surface and struggling to stay there.

My mouth went dry and I tensed even further, if that was possible. "Kissing who?" I asked, pasting an innocent look on my face as I pulled back to look at him.

"You tell me."

I shook my head, "You must have thought someone else was me…"

"Don't think you can fool me just because you changed your hair!" He yelled, ripping my wrists away from his shoulders and leaving painful red marks. Paralyzed by fear and knowing that there was no pulling him out of this until he got it out of his system, I braced myself for the worst.

"Please, Matt, he meant nothing! We can just forget about this, and go home!"

He gritted out, "I could forgive you for all of you other mistakes. I taught you _never_ to repeat them. But _this_? I can't forgive you for cheating on me. Hurting me, leaving me, and cheating on me."

Apparently I underestimated him yet again, because when I prepared myself for the worst, I never imagined that that would be a gun. Before I knew what was happening, a black pistol was aimed at me, shaking as his hands wobbled from god knows what.

"Matt…" My throat clenched tightly, and I had to force myself to keep talking through it. "I'm so sorry. Please don't do this. We can just go back to Mystic Falls. I can tell everyone there that we're okay, and everything will go back to normal. We'll be happy again. I didn't mean for this to happen, just like you didn't mean to hurt me."

Ever so slowly, I started walking towards him. His eyes were glassy with tears, but the sight did nothing to my heart but make it race with the bad kind of adrenaline. He stayed quiet as I continued approaching him, and a tiny part of me relaxed when I had my hand gently wrapped around his wrist and the gun was lowered to his side.

"See? We can still go back to the way things were, Matty, I still love you." I said as genuinely as I could.

I regretted it almost immediately. His expression went from dejected to fuming so fast I thought it would give me whiplash, and he grabbed my upper arms painfully. I cried out as he shoved me to the ground, lowering himself on top of me to keep me in place.

"No, Matt please!" I sobbed, trying as hard as I could to shove him off of me. He just pressed me further into the ground until the cracked pavement dug painfully into my back. That was the least of my worries though as I begged him for my life, tears streaming down my face by the bucket.

I felt the cold metal of the gun pressing against my stomach through my thin shirt, and Matt was slowly bringing it further up between us, aiming it at my neck. I thrashed my legs around but it did absolutely nothing, and no words I could say were enough to deter him. I'd never seen him look so cold, even at his worst.

The sound of a car door slamming shut diverted both of our attentions only to see Mia running away from us. Matt raised the gun towards her retreating form and with strength I didn't know I had I freed my arm and grabbed his wrist faster than I could blink. However, as soon as his focus was back on me, he pinned my arm once again and the gun was aimed at me once more.

In that moment, I prayed that if this was how I was going to die that it would be fast. I didn't want to suffer like my parents did, helplessly sitting in their car at the bottom of a river while water slowly filled their lungs and took their lives.

I thought of all the times that I wished I'd had them around to spend the holidays with or ask for advice or even just to call to check up on me. They never got to watch me walk across the stage and receive my high school diploma. They never got to send me off to college and help me move into my dorm on the first day. My mom never got to plan my wedding with me and my dad never got to walk me down the aisle.

Hopefully I'll get to see them again soon, if this was how I was going to die.

All of the signs of an abusive relationship that I ignored were the next things that went through my mind. Maybe if I had recognized them sooner, and been stronger, I could've left him before things got this bad. I could've restarted somewhere else, and he wouldn't have had a reason to come find me. If I had just listened to my gut when it screamed in fear the first time he hit me then maybe I would have come out of this alive.

"Matt, you don't want to do this." I cried desperately, hoping for anything that would make him stop. Someone should have heard us by now, right? We weren't _that_ far away from people, and even if it was dark, there were still streetlights to see us.

"I have to, Elena." He said without hesitation. "How else will we be together? I can't forgive you!"

"If you do this, then we won't be able to be together anyways!" I reasoned. "I'll be dead, Matty! That's not what you want! Please, just think about this!"

His furious glare faltered into something regretful, but it was only for the briefest second. His face twitched again with his wicked rage, and I heard the click of him loading the gun.

Unable to do anything to dislodge him, I looked up to the sky and prayed to my parents to help me out of this. I didn't want to die; I had just found something worth living for. I couldn't leave Damon, or Mia, or Alex, or Caroline, or Lily. I finally found a place that made me feel safe, that felt like home, and I wasn't ready to stop living in it.

Fireworks were still booming in the background, and what was probably only a few seconds dragged on like hours as a million and one thoughts flowed through my head. There was so much in life that I hadn't gotten to do yet. I hadn't traveled anywhere exotic, or seen the Eiffel tower, or worked the career of my dreams. Hell, I didn't even know what that was yet. There was so much I still wanted to do, that I still wanted to get out of life.

Marriage to a man that I truly love and loves me. Having children. Watching them grow up. Children were always a part of my plan, and as I felt the tip of his gun press against my chest, I felt grateful that I got to have a taste of what it would be like with Damon's family.

I had so many regrets, but they wouldn't be one of them.

As a last ditched attempt at saving myself, I bucked my hips to try to make the gun move from its spot over my heart, but it barely even moved.

Then I heard it go off.

And then there was nothing but darkness.


	19. Chapter 19

I felt a little mean leaving you guys with that cliffhanger, but who doesn't love some good suspense? ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

What was that god-awful sound that wouldn't let me sleep? I felt exhausted; tired from the tips of my toes to the ends of my hair. All I wanted to do was hibernate for the next century, but it sounded like some kind of alarm clock was going off.

God, I hoped I didn't have to work today. I tried to lift my arm to reach for my alarm clock, but found that I couldn't move it and it was aching. So I tried to move my other arm, but there was a sharp prick on my inner elbow.

My brows furrowed and my heavy eyes fluttered open. The first thing I saw was white. White walls, a white blanket covering my legs, a white curtain. My brain felt foggy and I couldn't for the life of me put anything together. Instead of giving myself a headache by thinking about it, I looked down at my arm to where I initially felt pain.

There was a sling around one arm, and an IV stuck in the other.

I was in the hospital? I tried to move my arm that wasn't in the sling to touch the sling, but I found that it didn't move. And then as I looked to see why, I noticed Damon. His hand was gripping mine while his head rested on the edge of the hospital bed, fast asleep. I smiled at the sight and any anxiety I had about being in a hospital bed vanished. If he was here, then everything was okay.

Disentangling my hand from his, I lifted my heavy arm to sift my fingers through his hair. He stirred at the feeling and I smiled as his bright blue eyes met mine. They were full of surprise, fear, and relief as he sat up straight and grabbed my hand again, "Elena, thank god!" He leaped to his feet and leaned down to give me a kiss, which I quickly returned. I moaned in pain as I tried to scoot over in bed to give him room to lay down and he pulled away in concern, "What happened? Are you okay? Let me call in the nurse."

Before I could do anything about it, he had pressed the button on the remote to signal for a doctor.

When he looked at me again, this time he seemed more calm as he exhaled a deep breath. He reached up to push some of my hair behind my ear and asked softly, "How are you feeling, beautiful?"

I frowned slightly, "Okay, I guess." I grimaced at the sound of my scratchy voice. "Is there water somewhere?"

"Yeah, hang on." He said, reaching for a light purple plastic cup on a nearby table.

He brought it to my lips and I scowled, "I can do it myself, Damon."

He smiled slightly and allowed me to hold the cup myself. After I took a few gulps, I gave the cup back to him and he sat back down in his chair. Feeling slightly more alert, I looked around the room and asked, "Why the hell am I in a hospital?"

A concerned look passed through his features and just as he was about to say something, the door opened. A middle aged man walked in dressed in blue scrubs with a white coat on top of them. He smiled warmly at me and said, "Mrs. Donovan-Gilbert, how are you feeling? Any pain?"

"Um, a little when I move but not really…" I answered, still unsure of what was going on.

"Good, good." He smiled. "You were brought in last night with a gunshot wound in your shoulder. You were very lucky, the bullet missed any vital organs. We had to perform surgery to remove the bullet and close the wound, and your clavicle was fractured, hence the sling. No other broken bones or internal bleeding though, so as long as you're feeling up to it I'd feel comfortable releasing you in a few hours when some of the heavy medication wears off."

Suddenly, everything hit me at once. Last night. Matt showing up. His gun. So I guess he did shoot me. My head still felt so out of it like everything was firing at a snail's pace. All I knew was that now I was safe, because Damon was here.

"Thank you, doctor." Damon said, silently dismissing him. The doctor briefly informed him of the medication that I was to take after getting discharged, but I didn't pay attention. Instead, I looked down and inspected myself. My left shoulder was completely bandaged, white gauze wrapped all around it beneath my hospital gown. I instinctively moved to grasp my lotus flower necklace, only to find that it wasn't on. Hopefully Damon had it along with my clothes, because I could feel that all I was wearing beneath the ugly gown were my panties.

The doctor then left, and the only sound left was the steady beeping of my heart rate. Damn thing woke me up. I didn't need a machine to tell me that yeah, my heart was beating.

As I peeked beneath my gown to see if I could catch a glimpse of the damage, I felt Damon squeeze my hand for a few long moments as if he was afraid I wouldn't squeeze back. I smiled at him a little, "I'm okay, Damon, I promise. Just a flesh wound."

He grinned and shook his head, "Just a flesh wound? They must have you on some serious medication, baby."

I giggled and nodded my head, confirming that all I felt was an odd sense of calm considering what I'd been through. "What happened last night?" I asked after a moment.

He dropped his gaze to our interlinked hands then asked, "What do you remember?"

Sighing heavily, I recalled everything I could remember, "I was watching the fireworks with Mia and she got tired so I brought her to the car to sleep. Then Matt showed up…we were arguing…I'm so sorry, Damon, I tried to keep him away—"

"Hey, hey," he said in a gentle voice, moving his free hand to my thigh, "We're all okay, Elena. It wasn't your fault."

I nodded and exhaled, then continued, "The last thing I remember is him pushing me on the ground. We wrestled with the gun for a few moments, and then I heard it go off. I don't remember anything after that."

He grimaced, "It's probably better that you have no real memory of what happened after that."

"Why?" I could tell he was reluctant to tell me everything, meaning that it was bad. "Everyone's okay, right? Mia and Alex are okay?"

He quickly nodded, "Of course, we're all fine. Me, you, the kids, and my mom. Caroline too. She's been waiting eagerly to hear when you woke up. We all have."

"So the gunshot went in my shoulder?"

He nodded, "The first one."

I again looked down at my body, wondering why he said the first if there were no more injuries on me. "I thought I was only shot once…"

He smiled sadly, "You were. Mia came running to me screaming bloody murder last night about someone attacking you. I handed her off to one of my buddies and Liz and I went running to where I knew you were watching with her. I heard the first gunshot go off, and…I've never been more afraid in my life."

His voice broke at the end of his last sentence and I smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring way. He leaned his forehead against my thigh and I rubbed circles over his upper back where I could reach.

"I don't know what I would have done if…"

"Don't think like that, Damon." I said in a soft voice. "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." He turned his head to look up at me and I added, "I love you more than anything. I wasn't going down without a fight."

He smiled faintly then lifted his head to continue, "So I was running to get to you as fast as I could, when I heard another gunshot. I had no idea what was going on. I didn't know that it was him that was attacking you. When I got there, the first thing I saw was you laying on the ground in a pool of blood. Nothing else even registered until I felt that you still had a pulse. By then, Liz had already called for an ambulance. It was only after I felt that little thumping in your neck that I saw him… He killed himself, Elena."

"Matt's dead?" I breathed in shock. I definitely couldn't say I felt sad about it, but I never wanted him to die.

Damon nodded, "Yeah…"

Knowing he was waiting for me to say something about it, I told him, "I never saw that coming, but I can't say that a small part of me isn't relieved. You should have seen the look in his eyes, Damon, as he aimed the gun at me…I've never seen him look so unhinged. He wouldn't have stopped even if I had gotten away."

He was silent for a few moments then said, "Apparently you were the only 'family' he had left, so they've been waiting to talk to you about funeral arrangements, or at the very least where to bury him or if he should be cremated."

"Back in Mystic Falls." I answered instantly. "His sister has a plot in a cemetery there."

"I'll tell Liz." He said quietly, though he made no move to do what he said.

Then it hit me. "I'm a widow…"

He shook his head and whispered, "I'm sorry, baby…"

A part of me couldn't believe that he was telling me he was sorry that I lost the husband that tried to kill me. But another, bigger part just screamed that Damon was the perfect guy for me, because even though Matt nearly took me from him, he still took my feelings into consideration. Then it dawned on me that I never really was clear on how I felt about Matt. Sure, he knew that he abused me, but women have feelings for the men that hurt them all the time.

"Damon, I haven't loved Matt in a long time. I lived a hollow life in fear of when he'd hurt me next. I hated him… I could never be glad that someone was dead, and I will always feel sad that he lost his life, but it just doesn't hurt me like losing my husband should. I love you. So much more than I've ever loved anyone. You're the only one for me, and I know that without a doubt."

"You're it for me too, Elena." He said, his voice filled with emotion. "I'm sure you've heard from Caroline how I was less than particular about who I shared my bed with before I met you, but nobody's drawn me in quite like you did. I'm so in love with you that I don't know what I'd do without you."

I slowly and carefully shifted over in bed and patted the spot next to me. He didn't hesitate to join me, and he turned on his side to wrap an arm around my middle and bury his face in my neck. I couldn't turn what with my shoulder, so I wrapped my right arm around his head and tangled my fingers in his hair.

"You tired?" He asked as I yawned.

"The medicine they have me on, while taking away the pain, is making me tired."

"Go ahead and sleep." He said, stroking my cheek as he looked at me. "We still have a few hours before you're discharged. You might as well rest now before we get home and everyone bombards you with attention."

I smiled sleepily, "That doesn't sound so bad."

He pressed a tender kiss to my lips, "It's actually the best thing in the world."

* * *

The next time I woke up, it was much more pleasantly. Damon's whispered words pulled me into consciousness just in time to listen to the doctor give me instructions about the painkillers and antibiotics to take when I get home. He then left so I could get dressed and told me to call the nurse when I was ready to leave.

Damon then pulled a bag of my clothes out of nowhere. With my arm in the sling the doctor gave me, I stood up pretty effortlessly and Damon helped me into a pair of baggy sweats. The top half was a bit more difficult since I couldn't wear any bras with a strap on that shoulder without it hurting like a bitch. So I wore my bra with only one strap up, and then he gently slid a loose fitting tank top on so that it didn't agitate my shoulder. And much to my delight, he had my lotus necklace as well.

Despite being perfectly okay to walk, the hospital policy insisted that I take a wheel chair outside, which I wasn't too happy about. Damon, however, was a different story. He was all too happy to wheel me out and make sure that I didn't get hurt. I had a feeling he was going to be babying me for a while, and my suspicions were confirmed when he wouldn't even let me get in the car by myself.

I kept my mouth shut though, all because of that heartbreaking look on his face when he confessed that he thought he lost me. If our roles had been reversed, I would have been devastated and done the same thing as him.

"So what am I about to walk into?" I asked as we began driving towards his place. As much as I hated to admit it, I was in no condition to take care of myself, especially living alone. I might as well have only had one arm, but Damon being Damon never even considered if I hadn't wanted to stay with him while I recovered. He had just assumed it, but I didn't mind. There was no place I'd rather be than with him and his family.

My family.

Maybe it was about time to start saying that instead of discrediting my role in their lives because of some insecurity about not being good enough.

Damon smirked slightly, "Expect doting, fawning, and flowers. Maybe some balloons too."

"Is Mia okay?" I asked him, remembering what she had seen.

He nodded, "She was just shaken up. Seeing that you're okay will help."

I sighed, "I told her to stay in the car no matter what."

"If she had listened, I never would have got there when I did. The fireworks were going off, and the gunshots could have easily been mistaken for them." He said solemnly. "Do not feel guilty about what she might have seen, because if she hadn't then you might not be here."

He was right. I owed her big time for getting help when she did.

The car came to a stop outside of the house I hoped to call home one day and I stepped out, but only after he ran around to open my door and help me. The moment I stepped inside the house, arms were wrapped around me and bright blonde hair invaded my vision. Caroline squealed, "Elena! Oh my god, are you okay!? Wait, of course you're okay, you're here, but oh my god, I was so scared!"

I laughed gently, "It's good to see you, Care. I'm fine, I promise."

Lily was the next one to greet me and wrap me up in a hug while being careful of my arm, "Glad to see you're okay, honey. We were all worried about you."

"I'm just glad I don't have to worry about him ever again." I said seriously. Damon had confessed earlier in the hospital that he told his mom and Caroline about Matt and my relationship with him. Honestly, I was relieved that they knew so they weren't completely in the dark about why I was shot.

"Us too." Caroline smiled sympathetically.

Alex appeared in the hallway then and quickly came over to hug me. After assuring him that I was okay and I'd let him see the cool wound that I'd probably have when I changed the bandages he seemed fine.

"Mia's napping in her room. Feel free to wake her up if you want." Lily told Damon, giving him a meaningful look that said if he didn't go wake her up right now then he was going to be in big trouble.

He nodded and went down the hall while Caroline led me into the kitchen where there were freshly baked cookies, shiny 'get well soon' balloons, flowers of every color and shape you could think of, and handmade cards from Mia and Alex that made my eyes water.

Damon came walking into the kitchen through the opening leading to the hallway and said, "Elena, she won't come out of her room until she sees you. Can you…?"

"Yeah, of course." I said instantly, following him down the hall. We stepped into Mia's room and I sat down next to the big lump of blankets on the bed where she was hiding. "Mia?"

A moment passed before the blankets began moving and she peeked out from around the edge of one. Her eyes widened when she saw me, and they turned watery when her gaze settled on the exposed bandage on my shoulder.

My heart broke and my own eyes turned wet as I said, "Sweetie, come here."

She crawled out from beneath the covers and burst into tears the second she was in my arms. I held her tightly with my one arm while murmuring reassurance in her hair that I was okay and that that man wasn't going to be around ever again. I shed a few tears of my own which prompted Damon to moved from where he was standing in the door to sit next to us and brush away my tears. Mia's face was buried deeply in my neck, covered by my hair as her sobs slowly soothed into sniffles.

"You okay, Mia?" I asked when she pulled her face away to rub her eyes.

She nodded and in a small voice asked, "He's not gonna get me?"

"No, baby, no I promise you you're never going to see him again. None of us will. He can't hurt anyone ever again."

She again nodded, then cuddled back against me and murmured, "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Damon answered, "Only if you're okay with snoring. Because she snores—loud. Sounds like a bear."

Mia giggled through her sniffling and I gasped, swatting his arm, "I do not!"

"How would you know?" He challenged. "You're asleep when it happens!"

"I wanna hear!" Mia laughed. "Uncle Damon, please? Can I sleep with you and Lena?"

He smiled, "Of course, baby girl. You just have to be careful of Elena's shoulder, okay?"

She looked down to the bandage around my wound and eyed it carefully for a moment before I changed the subject, "Mia, did you help Grandma make the cookies in the kitchen?"

"I putted the choc'late chips in!"

"Why don't we go get some? I'll let you sneak a few before dinner."

"Yeah!"

Damon picked her up from my lap, but he soon learned that was a mistake. She screamed so loudly my ears started ringing and he put her back in my arms faster than I could blink.

She cried, "I want Lena!"

I smoothed her hair down and explained, "Mia, I can't carry you right now. It could hurt my shoulder. I won't be able to carry you for a few weeks."

With a pout on her face, she crawled out of my lap and began stomping to the kitchen. Damon and I rolled our eyes then followed her.

As it turned out, everyone did a lot more than just bake cookies. When we returned to the kitchen, there was an entire array of food laid out as if we were going to be feeding an army rather than a small family. There was baked chicken, mashed potatoes, mac n' cheese, green bean casserole, and rolls, all steaming hot and seasoned to perfection. The hospital food paled in comparison.

We all sat down with our plates piled high and dug in. Everything tasted amazing, and it reminded me of the homemade meals I used to eat with my parents. I sat at one head of the table with Lily at the other. Damon was to my left and Mia was to my right. Caroline sat next to Mia and Alex sat next to Damon.

I kept feeling Damon's hand touch my knee under the table, and I wondered how I got so lucky to find a man like him.

After dinner, Damon helped me change the bandage and take more pain medication. I finally got to see my battle wound. Seven stitches straight across my shoulder about two inches long. Alex was oddly fascinated by it while everyone else kept a respectable distance. I had a feeling I was going to have a scar from it, but it was a small price to pay for getting away without any other injuries.

Then we got ready for bed and settled into the couch to watch a movie after Lily and Caroline left. Halfway through, Mia drifted off on one end and Alex crashed on a pile of blankets on the floor. That meant Damon and I got to ignore the rest of Disney's _Up_ in favor of making out on the couch in just about any position you could imagine that didn't disturb either of the kids.

However, we restrained ourselves enough not to take it past second base, and when the movie finished Damon carried Alex to bed while I started my nightly routine. It proved harder than I thought with only one arm, but I managed to get everything done. It helped that Damon had thought to gather most of my things from my house too. He even helped me take a bath, pampering me the entire time. You weren't going to hear any complaints from me.

Just as he promised, Damon brought Mia into bed with us when we were ready for bed and tucked her in right in the middle. When he turned the lights out and we settled in, I whispered, "By the way, I do not snore."

He chuckled, "I guess you'll never know the truth."

I leaned over and kissed his bare shoulder, "I love you."

"I love you more." He whispered back, a sleepy smile on his face.

We moved to kiss properly and I grinned, "Doubt it."


	20. Chapter 20

Second update of the day, make sure you read 19 first!

From here on out this story will be ridiculously fluffy. There's one more official chapter after this that wraps everything up and then the epilogue, which I still have not finished. I probably will not be able to finish it until after my vacation, so I think I'm going to mark this story complete after the next chapter and post the Epilogue as a separate oneshot. It's getting lengthy so I may split it up into two sections, almost like a mini sequel instead of an epilogue. You can probably guess what's going on in it and why it's taking a while to write ;)

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

"Elena, will you play princesses with me now?" Mia asked me hopefully, hopping on her feet impatiently as I sat on the couch with my empty plate of pancakes.

I smiled warmly, "Sure sweetie, why don't you go put on your dress and I'll be right there?"

She nodded excitedly before barreling down the hall and to her room. Damon flopped down on the couch next to me, coming from cleaning up breakfast in the kitchen, and I moved my plate to the coffee table as he threw his arm around my shoulders, careful not to hurt my injured one.

"Kitchen's cleaned up. All that's left is your plate, and then I was thinking we could take the kids mini-golfing or something."

I leaned into his side, my cheek pressed against his shoulder, "That sounds fun. Though I have to admit, I'm the worst golfer in the world."

"Even miniature?" He teased, flaring his eyes.

I giggled, "Especially miniature. Seriously, what's the fun of swinging around a metal club and hitting a tiny ball into a tiny hole? There's nothing about that that sounds appealing!"

He rolled his eyes and grinned, "Well it's a good thing you're crippled and can't golf anyways. You can hang out in the arcade with Alex."

I narrowed my eyes and scowled, "Rude. But I'll forgive you because you've been letting me live here while I'm crippled."

He sighed dramatically, "Yes, because you're a complete nuisance and I can't wait until you're gone."

"Likewise." I winked, giving his lips a quick kiss. "Can I borrow your phone?"

He furrowed his brows a little but pulled it out of his pocket, placing it in my hand, "We'll have to get you a phone now that it's safe."

It _was_ safe now, and that was perhaps the biggest shock of all. It had been a week since I was released from the hospital, and it's been spent arranging the details of everything with a lawyer. Because Matt and I were married and had never even started the divorce process, I received full control of our bank accounts and personal belongings. For the most part, I sold everything. I was not about to go back to Mystic Falls, so I called a realtor and set up for her to sell our house. Those walls held nothing but memories anyways, and I had no desire to ever set foot in there again. I didn't even want to keep anything inside the house, except for some photo albums from my childhood and a few things that were my parents, all of which I had Sheriff Danvers gather and package to be shipped to me.

That phone call was surprisingly not awkward. He was Matt's boss, and we often spent a lot of time with him and his wife, but upon hearing the news of everything that happened, Joe confessed that he had a sneaking suspicion that Matt was abusive towards me, he just didn't want to start throwing around accusations.

The whole thing was tragic, really, and I was lucky to have my life.

However, he promised that he'd do whatever I needed to wrap up my old life in Mystic Falls so I could move on. So along with sending me the few things I wanted to keep, he took care of selling all of our personal belongings and cars while I allowed the realtor to sell our house with all of the furniture in it. I ended up giving a good chunk of the money I made from the cars and clothes to Joe just to thank him, and as of yesterday afternoon, my life in Mystic Falls had officially come to a close.

Joe explained that because Matt was a police officer they were going to have a proper funeral for him, but I declined the invite. It didn't feel right to be there after he tried to kill me. The only connection I still had left to Mystic Falls was my parents, and I knew that was right where they wanted to be. Mystic Falls was their home. They loved everything about it.

But it wasn't mine. Bar Harbor was my home. With Damon, and our family.

Gripping the phone tightly, I looked up at the man that singlehandedly changed my life and smiled, "IPhone 6s in rose gold please."

He laughed and kissed the top of my head before grabbing my plate and bringing it to the kitchen to wash. I never believed in guardian angels, but if I were to have one, it would be Damon. He loved me to the moon and back, and I never felt the need to question that.

Unlocking his phone, I pulled up the phone app and dialed a number that I should have called long ago. I was just so preoccupied with everything, and I felt almost guilty for taking so long to call her.

I smiled involuntarily when I heard her voice, "Hello?"

"Bonnie? It's me!" I said excitedly, biting my lower lip to stop the flood of emotions that wanted to pour out.

"Oh my god, Elena! How are you? What's happening? Are you okay? I got your message and tried calling, but it was the phone of some restaurant. I missed you so much!"

I laughed at her rambling, thinking she almost sounded like Caroline, "I'm fine, Bon, I promise. But I'm sure you've heard the news by now about Matt…"

She sighed, "Bits and pieces. Care to fill me in?"

And that was just what I did. I recounted the entire story, from the second I set foot on the bus she put me on up until our phone call. It took a while, needless to say. Mia had come pouting to me after about half an hour passed of us talking, and I was only halfway through everything. On the verge of a meltdown because I was on the phone, Damon managed to step in and convince her to let him play princesses with her while I finished, and it took me another hour to share all of the details of that awful night.

When I finally got to the end of everything, it was noon and Bonnie was thoroughly shocked.

"I'm flying out there as soon as I can." She stated with conviction, leaving no room for argument.

My eyes went wide, "What? No, you don't have to—"

"Elena Marie, I swear to god if you even _try_ to tell me no…"

I smiled to myself, "Fine. But hurry up! I miss you too much to wait much longer!"

She giggled, "I love you girl. I'll be there within the week, I promise. Is this the number I should use to call you?"

"Yeah, it's Damon's cell phone. I'll be getting my own soon though so I'll text you when I do."

"Okay. I'll talk to you again soon."

"Love you." I said just before hanging up.

Now, to share the good news with Damon. I stood up and carefully adjusted the sling around my arm, cursing the damn thing for being necessary. The doctor said that I could stop wearing it in a couple weeks when I was more healed, so it was a small price to pay really. I could hear the sounds of cars racing coming from the videogame Alex was playing in his room, and I heard Mia's giggle from her room followed by Damon's grunt of annoyance.

I don't think there was anything on this earth that could have prepared me for the sight of Damon wearing a pink tutu, feathery boa, and sparkly crown while Mia ran around him in circles waving a magic wand and laughing like someone was tickling her to death.

I stifled a laugh and Damon shot me a glare, "It's funny now. Just wait until she gets her sticky little hands on you."

Mia jumped excitedly when she saw me standing in the doorway, "You can play now!?"

"You're not having fun with Damon?" I challenged.

She pouted, "You're a better princess than him! He telled me that he's a better princess than you but he's not!"

"Hey, that's not what I said!" He chastised, looking at her incredulously. "Way to throw me under the bus, kid."

I laughed and walked towards him, wrapping my arm around his waist, "Then what did you say?"

He smirked at me, "Just that you'd make a prettier princess than I ever would. She just likes to stir up drama."

"Trust me, I know." I chuckled, letting him kiss me softly. "Also, Bonnie said she was going to fly up here for a visit within the week. Just wanted to let you know." He nodded then I turned to Mia, "What do you say we skip the princesses today and we all go mini-golfing?"

Her face lit up like the star on top of the Christmas tree and she screamed, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"

I smirked at Damon, "Why don't you get her ready for the day? I'll go get Alex."

He glared at me, knowing I was taking the easy way out. I sent him a wink while Mia was already pulling on his hand, directing him towards her closet, and slipped from the door to Alex's room. He looked up at the sound of the door opening wider and I flopped down on a bean bag chair next to him with a groan.

"Want to go mini-golfing today?" I asked, picking up the second controller to join him in the race.

He paused the game and asked, "Can we play in the arcade too?"

"Sure." I grinned. He stood up to get ready but I stopped him, "Hey, Damon just started getting Mia ready so—"

"It'll be a while." He finished, laughing. He jumped back into his own bean bag chair and picked up the controller, un-pausing the game, "You're so going down."

"In your dreams!" I shot back, hitting all of the buttons to speed up my car. There hadn't been much to do around the house lately since I wasn't able to get back to work yet. So long as I was in a sling, Caroling was forbidding it. Often I lounged around the house with the kids so Damon could go work at the shop with his mom and take care of whatever needed to be done. I liked never having to leave their house because it meant I never had to leave them.

Caroline was over quite a bit too to keep me company when I was about to pull my hair out of my head because the kids were arguing.

And now Bonnie was going to come visit. I seriously doubted my life could get any better.

Once Damon got closer to having Mia ready, I helped Alex pick out an outfit and left him to get dressed. Damon recruited me to do Mia's hair, and I tied it up into two cute little buns with a sparkly clip holding her twisted bangs back.

We got to the mini-golf course and sat down for some lunch first, and then we got the two kids clubs and balls and let them run wild through the course while we kept an eye out for their safety, at the very least.

My hand intertwined with Damon's as we stood behind the first hole and let them whack the balls all over the place. He then asked, "So Bonnie's visiting?"

I nodded, "She's been my best friend since birth. I lived with her after my parents died."

"And she's the one that helped you come here?"

"Yep," I confirmed, cringing a little as Mia hit the ball so hard it flew off the course and into the weeds.

"Then she can stay with us. We have a spare bedroom in the house."

"What? No, she can just stay at a hotel, I mean—"

"Elena." He silenced me with a look, smiling softly. "She helped send you to us. She's staying at the house."

I exhaled a breath and smiled, "You're the best."

"I know." He smirked. _So modest_.

We followed Alex and Mia through the complete 18-hole course, and though I want to say everything went smoothly, with two young kids that's almost impossible. Around hole seven, Mia hit her ball into the water and lost it, so she screamed bloody murder until we were able to get her another. And then she screamed again because the ball wasn't pink. Alex tripped over a rock and scraped his knee, but stayed tough and didn't shed a tear as we patched him right up.

After finishing the last hole and soothing Mia when she couldn't get the ball back from the container that the hole led into, we headed inside to get a snack and go to the arcade. I threw myself tiredly into a chair and Damon sat across from me, frowning when I winced a little as my shoulder bumped the wall.

"Shoulder hurting?"

I nodded, "A little, but I can wait until we get home. I didn't bring any medication."

"I'll try to make them wrap it up quickly then." He said, feeding me a french fry drenched in vinegar.

"Mm, keep feeding me like that…"

He chuckled and gave me another fry, "Keep eating like that and when we get home I'll make sure you forget all about the pain."

I raised a brow, "Does that mean you're finally not afraid to have sex with me?"

"I didn't want to hurt you." He defended. "I wasn't afraid, I just…I wanted to be careful."

I blew out an amused laugh, "Baby, you're not helping either of us by withholding sex."

He grumbled, "We'll just have to see when we get home."

I snickered at his reaction, wondering just how he managed to keep himself away from me. Our dry spell wasn't for lack of trying—believe me. At least on my part. I even pulled out the big guns and gave him a blow job one morning, but _no_ , he still wouldn't fuck the daylights out of me.

Seriously, you don't have sex with a man like Damon Salvatore and then go a week without it. It was like going through withdrawal. Painful, constantly aroused, withdrawal. I needed his body, and if he didn't fork it over soon I'd explode.

True to his word, Damon wrapped up arcade time to a generous hour before we all left to go home and make dinner.

We didn't make it to bed until ten o'clock thanks to the kids' wound up energy from the candy they won out of a claw machine.

By the time my head hit the pillow, I was all kinds of exhausted, but not the kind that I wanted to be more than anything.

Damon was laying on his back next to me, dressed in just his boxers beneath the sheets and his eyes closed. I propped my head up on my good arm and gingerly moved my other to lay on his chest, my fingers trailing over his muscled skin.

"Damoooon…" I sing-songed, throwing my leg between his.

"Hm?" He hummed, a smirk on his lips.

I huffed, rubbing my thighs together in hopes of alleviating some of the ache. "Please…" I begged. "I'm so freaking horny, Damon, I need you now…"

He cracked open an eye, his arm that was snaked beneath my waist curling around my side a bit tighter, "Is that so?"

I nodded, grinding my clothed center against his leg, "Mhm…"

"I don't have any condoms." He said, making me narrow my eyes.

"I'm on the pill. Seriously, I mean, you're just now thinking about birth control? After what, a month?"

He rolled his eyes, "Baby, you're taking antibiotics, right? They can cancel out the effects of birth control."

I groaned, "So let's take the chance! Pull out, buy the morning after pill, whatever!"

He laughed, turning on his side and pulled me closer to him, "Take the chance, huh?"

I smiled a little at the ridiculousness of it and nodded, "Come on, don't you think it would be worth it?"

"And if you did get pregnant?" He challenged, his brows raised.

I sighed, "Then I'd be pregnant." He narrowed his eyes and I continued, "I know I want kids one day Damon, and I know you do too. Some of your own, at least. I know it would be soon, but come on, the chances of me actually getting pregnant are nonexistent. I'll stop by the pharmacy tomorrow and pick up some Plan B."

"You better." He warned playfully. "Because if you get knocked up, then I'm gonna have to marry you."

I snorted, "Oh, is that how that works?"

"Yep." He smirked, rolling me beneath him. "And then I'd have to love you until death do us part."

Wrapping my legs around his waist, I grinned, "The torture…"

"Of the worst kind." He lightly nipped my neck, eliciting a soft gasp. "Could you imagine, loving each other for the rest of our lives? I'd have to wake up next to you, make breakfast with you, _shower_ with you—the horror!"

I giggled and shoved his chest, "Hurry it up and let's get this show on the road already, Romeo."

Using my feet, I slid his boxers down his legs and he managed to kick them off beneath the covers, leaving them somewhere in bed with us. He helped me undress with my bad arm and my clothes soon joined his on the floor. He then took his erection in hand and slid into me in one swift motion, stretching me tightly. I let out a long, soft moan, my nails digging into his back. The ache between my legs instantly disappeared and was instead replaced by the opposite sensation, the most delicious feeling in the world.

He reared back and slammed back into me, and pain shot through my shoulder as it jostled against the bed. I cringed through the pain and Damon instantly stopped, making me pout.

"I hurt you, didn't I?" He said knowingly.

"No, I'm fine, I swear. Please, don't stop." I panted, lifting my good arm to wrap around his neck and urge him on.

"Elena…" He started, and I rolled my eyes.

"Flip us over." I demanded, and he carefully did so until I was on top of him. "See? I'm fine like this, okay?"

I lifted my hips and came back down as if to prove just how okay I was, and his face scrunched up in pleasure. Yeah, he wasn't going to be stopping me again until this was over.

I rode him hard until I was seeing stars and our stifled moans mingled together in the air and our sweat-slicked bodies slid against each other creating a whole different type of friction. I was so wound up that it didn't take long to get close. Ever mindful of my shoulder, Damon sat up and kissed me, meeting me thrust for thrust until we both fell into oblivion, taking the other down with us.

My limp body on top of his, I kissed his prickly jaw and hummed contentedly, "I love you."

He exhaled softly, already nearing sleep, "Love you too, Lena…" I slithered off of him and curled into his side after he reached over to turn off the light. We snuggled back beneath the covers and I closed my eyes, slipping into sleep as Damon repeatedly kissed the top of my head.


	21. Chapter 21

Third chapter of the day, read 19 and 21 first!

We are finally at the last chapter! This is undoubtedly the fluffiest, mushiest, cutest, cheesiest thing I've possibly ever written and I have no regrets. I just can't help it when it comes to Delena. They suffered so much in TVD I just _have_ to make them happy in my writing.

Thank you all so much for your support! You have definitely encouraged me to post again so I will be doing that when I'm back home. Also, look out for the epilogue that I'm going to post in two separate parts, but again that will not be posted for another two weeks at least.

* * *

 **Chapter 21**

"Okay, why have I never tasted food this good before?" I asked rhetorically right before shoving a huge bite of a crab cake dipped in sauce in my mouth.

Bonnie hummed around her mouthful of lobster, nodding furiously. When she swallowed, she added, "Yeah, seriously. I've never had seafood this amazing before."

I moaned around a bit of my own lobster drenched in the herb butter it was served with and Caroline looked on in amusement, "You two definitely aren't from the coast, that's for sure."

She was eating her food like a normal human being with a fork and knife and napkin while Bonnie and I were knuckles deep in all of the shellfish and shamelessly groaning at every taste. I had never been a huge fan of seafood, and frankly, I hadn't really had the money to spend on that kind of food back when I needed to save every cent.

Only now do I realize what I had been missing. There was _nothing_ like fresh seafood from Maine caught locally just hours ago. God, I was changing my mind about seafood. I think lobster was my new favorite. But then again, those scallops had been to die for…and the crab was heaven in a red shell.

"How do you even come here and pick one thing to order?" I mused, taking in the buffet of food spread out on our table. There was lobster, scallops, crab, mashed potatoes, crab cakes, grilled asparagus, fresh fish—I couldn't remember if it was tilapia or flounder—the list just went on and on, as did my seemingly endless appetite for all of it.

Caroline laughed a little, "You don't! Hence the entire buffet that could feed a damn army!"

Bonnie added, "Yeah, I think we went a bit overboard…"

"You think?" Caroline snorted.

I rolled my eyes, "More for me. I'm seriously starved, and I'm beginning to think my stomach is bottomless because I'm sure I could keep going."

"Then keep eating!" Bonnie encouraged. "Just save room for the chocolate lava cake for dessert."

"Mm…" I moaned at just the thought, then finished off my crab cake.

Caroline, her arms crossed, leaned back in her chair and said, "You two are lucky that seafood is cheap here, or else you'd be putting me in debt."

"You're the one that said you'd treat us to lunch." I pointed out, then took a sip of my wine to wash down the food.

"For one day! Not an entire week's worth of food!" She defended herself.

I pouted, "Aw, come on! It's my birthday, I get whatever I want!"

"And you're damn lucky I love you." She grumbled before angrily shoving a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

"Yeah, and it seems you're not the only one." Bonnie said with a mischievous look.

Elena raised a brow, "Is this about Damon again?"

She shrugged, "I just find it a little odd that you're with him so soon after everything that happened."

Like I needed a reminder. My arm was still in a sling, healing slower than a snail's pace, and it was really starting to get annoying. All of the little details surrounding what happened were all sorted out now, meaning I would never have to think of _him_ again. Things were settling down, and though I was the talk of the town for a good week, the murmurs and stolen glances seemed to die down.

Now, the talk of the town was some dentist's drinking problem. While I doubted Bar Harbor had moved on from what happened to me, they weren't talking about it quite as much.

After all, it isn't every day that the new girl is shot by her husband before said husband kills himself.

"I know we moved fast, but it wasn't like it was unhealthy." I started. "Matt and I had been over for years in my mind. Meeting Damon was unexpected, but the best thing that's ever happened to me. Make me talk to a shrink if you want to prove that my emotions aren't just latching on to the first guy that's nice to me."

Bonnie laughed a little, "As the daughter of a shrink, I think I'll pass. Trust me, I've been under that microscope more times than I care to count."

"Well I think it's amazing." Caroline said pointedly in Bonnie's direction. The two of them had really clicked ever since Bonnie arrived a few days ago. "Damon had been single for years, and then Elena shows up out of the blue and they fall head over heels for each other in just a few short months. They were made to be together!"

"And the fact that he's raising his niece and nephew doesn't scare you at all?" Bonnie emphasized, and I smiled in response.

"If Matt hadn't been the way he was, I'm confident we would have had kids by now. I'm ready for kids, to start a family, and even though Alex and Mia aren't really our kids, it doesn't change how much we love them."

"I think it's sweet." Caroline cooed. "Those kids love you like you were their mother."

"So what about your own kids?" Bonnie countered.

"Damon and I have talked about it before, and we're both on the same page. Right now is definitely not the time, but maybe in a few years if the timing is right, we could have our own children."

Bonnie smiled softly at me, "So I take it you're staying here."

"Yeah." I confirmed. "Mystic Falls will always hold a special place in my heart. It's where you live and my parents are, but my life is here now. With Damon and his family. Our family."

We both ignored Caroline's fawning and Bonnie said, "Well I'm glad to see you so happy. It's been years since I've seen you smile this much."

"I'm pretty sure that's all she does around Damon. I mean, all it takes is for someone to mention his name, and she's a smiling love-struck puppy!" Caroline giggled.

"Can you blame her though?" Bonnie grinned. "Damon's hot stuff!"

I widened my eyes, "Hands off, you two!"

"Like Damon would even spare us a second glance." Caroline pointed out. "He's as mushy-gooey-lovey as you are!"

And didn't I know it. He treated me like a queen, and the feeling of being so loved and cherished _never_ got old. I knew what it was like to be with someone that didn't appreciate me and couldn't even stand to be in the same room with me on occasion. It was not a place I wanted to return to.

It was a place I would never _have_ to return to. Damon loved me. Of that I had no doubts. He would never hurt me, emotionally or physically, and that was one of the most comforting things in my life. I could let my guard down and relax around him. I could be myself, without fabricating any other personality to appease his temper. I could be laying in his lap with olives shoved up my nose and carrots hanging out of my mouth, and he'd laugh hysterically before pretending to be a walrus with some celery. Then I would laugh so hard the olives in my nose would come shooting out, and then we'd both be gasping for breath.

It was easy and carefree, but most of all, it was fun. I was happy. Truly happy, for the first time in years, and it wasn't something I'd ever felt before.

There was no one else in the world that I wanted to spend my birthday with more than Damon, but he promised we'd do something after I had lunch with the girls. Bonnie had been here for a couple days now, so I'd been spending most of my time with her. She wasn't sure how long she was going to stay, so we were trying to make the most of her visit.

Her visiting also meant that Damon and I got a free babysitter when his mom was unavailable, and I think it's safe to say we've made the most of our extra time alone. Bonnie took them back to my place as a 'destination slumber party' last night, giving Damon and I a night alone. We watched _Fifty Shades of Grey_ and had sex through pretty much the entire movie.

There was no doubt in my mind that Damon would have been a bit rougher and quite possibly tied me to the bed had my arm not still been injured.

At least it hasn't been hurting much anymore. My doctor hopes I'll be able to stop wearing the sling by the end of the week. She said I might need some physical therapy since the bullet did damage a lot of muscle, but at least I won't have to wear the stupid sling anymore.

Now that I had Damon on my mind, all I wanted to do was go home to him. I don't think I'd ever be able to get enough of that man.

The three of us quickly scarfed down the rest of my birthday lunch and ordered the chocolate lava cake to share for dessert. It was rich, sweet, and chocolaty—my three favorite adjectives when it comes to dessert.

After Caroline paid the check, we all waddled out to the car to head home. And yes, I mean waddle, because I ate so much food I had a food baby in my stomach. We all practically threw ourselves into the car and Caroline started the drive back to the house.

My brand new phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a text from Damon. It was just three red heart emojis. I smiled to myself and texted him back a heart eyes emoji and the kissing one.

I don't think anyone would ever believe me that Damon's so soft and lovey if I didn't have the proof to back it up.

We pulled in the driveway a few minutes later, and I threw open the door. It was a beautiful day out, not too hot thanks to the ocean breeze blowing through. Caroline and Bonnie followed me up the stairs and into the house.

I just about had a heart attack when a bunch of people appeared out of nowhere, yelling, "Surprise!"

I laughed at my own reaction as Damon came up to me and placed his hands on my hips to peck my lips. "Happy birthday, baby." He said before stepping aside to let everyone else have their turn at me.

Mia and Alex both wrapped themselves around me and I knelt down to give them each proper hugs. Lily was the next one to give me a hug and a warm happy birthday wish. Then a few of my friends from working at The Grill told me happy birthday and gave me a hug. I went back to work despite Caroline's protests, but I felt useless just sitting around Damon's house all day because half the time, the kids were with their grandma. I was bored out of my mind and itching to go back so I didn't feel like such a freeloader.

Then Caroline and Bonnie told me happy birthday for what felt like the millionth time, and I pinned them both with glares, "You knew about this, didn't you?"

Caroline looked a little sheepish, but Bonnie snorted at me, "Someone had to keep you occupied and away from the house, and what better way than with food?"

Everyone laughed, and I pointed a finger around the room, "You're all rude."

Damon snaked an arm around my waist, "Aw, come on. Is that any way to treat your guests? We even got you a cake and presents!"

"Presents?" I furrowed my brows. "You didn't have to do that."

Damon shrugged, "Well maybe they didn't, but as your boyfriend it's kind of an unspoken rule that I have to. Remember what I said? Gifts on your birthday don't count."

I smiled at the memory and shook my head, "You're ridiculous."

He smirked and urged me towards the kitchen, "Come on, let's watch Barbie try to light all twenty six candles on your cake without catching herself on fire."

"Damon!" Caroline screeched.

He looked at her innocently, "What? You're the one that covers herself in flammable hairspray, makeup, and god knows what else."

"I do not!" She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Damon went over to her and grabbed one of her curls, even though she promptly slapped his hand away.

"Your hair is crunchy." He told her pointedly.

She narrowed her eyes, "Alright Mister 'This Is My Natural Hair With Nothing In It,' let's just run a hand through that and see how it feels."

I spoke up, "Actually I can vouch for his hair naturally looking that way. He literally just runs a towel over his head in the morning. I don't get it." Damon smirked widely at Caroline, and I changed the subject before they could rip each other's heads off, "Now, what was that about cake?"

Despite having just eaten, cake sounded amazing. It was a vanilla cake with chocolate ganache between layers and chocolate whipped icing on top. It said 'Happy Birthday Elena' in blue frosting, and there were twenty six candles all around the letters.

Mia climbed into my lap as everyone started singing, and then before I blew out the candles Damon leaned down and said, "Make a wish. And make it good." He sent me a wink and I rolled my eyes.

I didn't have any wishes to make. All of my wishes already came true. I was surrounded by friends and family, a man who loves me unconditionally, and I felt safe. What more could I ask for?

So I wished that this next year ahead of us all would be nothing but happiness. We all deserved it.

Mia helped me blow out all of the candles, and everyone clapped around us. Damon and I cut the cake and started serving it up on plates, giving the first pieces to the kids. Mia was a well known messy eater, so the sooner she finished the sooner we could clean her up.

Everyone sat around the table and we had to pull up some extra chairs, but everyone managed to fit. With Damon at my left and Bonnie at my right, I tried the first bite of cake and nearly moaned. I knew Damon couldn't bake, but his mom could, making me wonder if she made this cake from scratch.

Damon threw his arm around the back of my chair when he finished eating, stretching his other arm above his head. I smirked as his shirt pulled up and I caught a peek at his dark happy trail. That was arguably my favorite part of him.

While everyone else was absorbed in their own conversations, Damon asked me, "So how does it feel to be twenty six?"

I glanced around the room, seeing all of the people I care about around me, and said, "It feels good." My last birthday was spent in the emergency room with a broken finger. The birthday before that I spent crying in the bathroom because I thought I had a broken rib. "It feels really, really good."

Damon smiled knowingly and dropped his arm from the chair around my shoulders and pulled me into him, pressing a kiss to my temple.

Then he stood up and announced, "Okay, time for presents."

We cleaned up the dining room a little before moving into the living room where there was a small pile of presents sitting next to one of the arm chairs. I sat down in it and Mia started jumping next to me, begging, "Can I open presents, please?"

Damon cut in, "Mia, it's Elena's birthday. They're her presents."

"Damon, it's fine." I told him. "I need the help anyways, what with one arm and all."

In reality, I probably could have managed by myself, but I loved seeing that little girl smile so much.

The bagged presents were the easiest for me to open, so I started with those. Caroline got me a new nametag for work after I dropped my other one in the ocean, and this one was decorated with stickers. She also got me some soaps and lotions from one of those fancy organic soap companies. Everyone from work chipped in to get me one of those gift cards you can spend anywhere, and Lily got me a gift card to a lingerie shop in town—you don't need to tell me how awkward _that_ was. Damon even yelled at her, but all she seemed to be able to do was smirk. Now I know where Damon got it from.

Mia helped me unwrap Bonnie's gift, which was a photo album of the two of us starting from when we were infants and our parents got us together up until the most recent photos, which were taken roughly a year ago. Damon loved seeing the pictures from first grade when I didn't have any front teeth and decided to let Bonnie give me a haircut.

Alex and Mia then gave me a birthday card they both decorated with drawings, and Damon gave me their present. It was a small box wrapped tightly, so I gave it to Mia to unwrap.

I lifted the top off of the box and frowned at what was inside. I looked up at Damon, "A key?"

He nodded, "A key. To the house. We all want you to move in with us, if that's something you want."

Move in…they wanted me to officially move in with them? I looked over at Alex and Mia, both of which were grinning at me. Mia beamed, "Are you gonna live here? I want you to live here! You make better waffles than Uncle Damon, and I love waffles!"

Damon rolled his eyes and grumbled, "One time. I use wheat flour instead of white flour one time, and the kid dubs me the worst waffle maker."

"That's what you get for trying to make waffles healthy." I said pointedly.

"So will you live with us?" Alex asked. "Mia's been asking me for days if you're gonna, and it's getting annoying." He looked down sheepishly and I spotted the lie from a mile away. He really did want me to move in.

"Of course I'll move in." I grinned, and Damon leaned down to kiss me.

It's not like I was missing anything at the shack I called a home in the woods. Well, except for my blue floor. But Damon had a deck out back that was in desperate need of an upgrade, and I bet I could convince him to paint it the same bright blue.

As soon as I agreed to move in, Caroline sighed in relief, "Oh thank god, I thought I was going to have to evict you from that house just so you wouldn't freeze to death over winter."

I laughed a little, "Good to know you care, at least."

She defended herself, "Hey, I wouldn't have thrown you out on the streets! You could have moved in with me until you found somewhere else."

"Now I've got somewhere else." I smiled up at Damon and between Alex and Mia, then added, "Somewhere a lot more secure, too."

Damon agreed, "No falling through the floor here."

"Sorry about that again!" Caroline flinched at the mention of it.

Damon teased, "You should be! I could sue you for a broken ankle!"

She narrowed her eyes, "Doesn't your ankle have to actually be broken?"

"The judge doesn't have to know that."

Damon and Caroline go together a lot like oil and water.

They don't.

Once I was finished opening my gifts, Caroline and everyone from work left. The party was officially over, so now we were down to those that actually live here, plus Bonnie. She pretty much lived here, at least for the time being.

We all went into the backyard where Mia ran to the swing set to start playing. Alex picked up a football and talked Damon into throwing it with him, which is how I found out Damon can't throw a football. His defense was that he played tennis in high school, therefore had no experience with football, but he quickly shut his mouth when I threw several perfect spirals in a row to Alex.

We only stopped throwing it when Damon caught me wincing and told Alex I needed to 'rest.' That word was becoming the bane of my existence.

Nevertheless, I sat down at the patio table on the deck next to Bonnie and Lily, and we opted to watch Damon's many failed attempts at throwing the football. Lily even said that Damon was never the athletic one, it was always Stefan. That then led to a brief explanation of who Stefan was and why he wasn't here for Bonnie, and she quickly got the memo that it was a topic to avoid.

I was so stuffed by the time dinner came around that all I ate was a small salad, and afterwards Lily went home next door. The five of us that were left sat down to play a board game at the kids' suggestion, or rather, demand, and Alex ended up winning. That then led to Mia throwing a tantrum because Alex wouldn't stop bragging about it, and we sent them both to bed early.

Easier said than done.

Bonnie retreated to her room sometime between the third and fourth time Mia came out of her room to cry in front of Damon and I. I couldn't blame her. That little girl was hard to resist when she looked so sad, but I reminded myself that she knew how cute she was and she was using it to her advantage.

My head started pounding once we'd listened to Mia screaming bloody murder from her room, and it only got worse when I caught Alex awake in his room playing video games. I had to confiscate them so he had nothing to do, then told him to go to sleep and left the door open so we could see him if we passed by.

That was a mistake though, because an open door meant that room was accessible to Mia. Just when I thought we had finally got them settled into their rooms, Mia snuck out of bed and into Alex's room where they started screaming at each other and fighting.

I decided to let Damon pull them apart, and I went out back onto the deck to get away from all of the screaming. I rubbed my temples to try to soothe my headache, but it seemed insistent on hanging around.

The windows were still open since it was such a beautiful night, and I could hear Damon yelling at them both. That went on for a minute or two before all of the noise suddenly stopped. I couldn't imagine what the neighbors thought was going on, but at least it was over for the moment.

I squeezed my eyes shut and exhaled a breath, trying to relax the muscles in my face and neck. It seemed to help my headache just a tiny bit.

I jumped a little when I felt arms wrap around my middle from behind, and Damon blew out a laugh. I said, "Sorry, I didn't hear you come out."

"Your head still hurting?" He asked, pulling my back flush against his front.

"Yeah." I confirmed quietly, closing my eyes and leaning my head back on his shoulder. I felt his lips touch the space right beneath my ear, and I smiled as he lightly kissed a trail down to my shoulder. "Are they finally asleep?"

He hummed against my throat, "Mm…I don't know if I'd call it asleep, but taken care of, yes."

"Taken care of?" I repeated, peeking open one eye. "You make it sound like you put them in burlap sacks and threw them down the river."

"Don't tempt me." He quipped, giving me a little nip. "I've been known to be awfully temperamental when I don't get what I want."

"And what is it that you want?" I raised a knowing brow, both of my eyes closed again.

I felt his smirk against my shoulder as his hand started moving south. He covered my center with his hand through my shorts and growled, "I want what's mine." He gripped me tighter and I gasped as the seam of my shorts rubbed against an extra sensitive spot.

"Are you sure they won't be coming out of their rooms?" I breathily asked.

Damon nodded, "If they can get out of the locks I did, I'd be calling Vegas and telling them I have their next magic act."

I smirked and unbuttoned my shorts, then slid both them and my panties down my legs. There was a tall fence around the backyard so nobody would see us unless they were looking over it, and it was nighttime anyways, so it was dark.

"Out here? Really?" Damon grinned.

I turned to face him and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him down to my lips, "Don't act like you haven't wanted to bend me over the rail and fuck me seven ways to Sunday since you walked out here." He swallowed thickly and I teased, "Don't wimp out on me now, Salvatore, my night of birthday sex is only just beginning."

I forced his mouth against mine and Damon quickly freed himself from his jeans. When he pulled away, that familiar dominance was back in his tone, "If you want kinky, I'll give you kinky."

He spun me around and pushed me against the wooden railing with his hips. He placed a firm hand on my lower back and then slipped into me effortlessly. I let out a low groan, and my headache was quickly forgotten as he started pounding into me from behind. I gripped the railing so tightly I was sure I'd have splinters in my hands and my legs felt like they were turning to jelly.

I whimpered Damon's name when he started grunting dirty things in my ear and one of his hands twisted in my hair. He wasn't kidding about showing me kinky.

The stars above us blurred together as pleasure rocketed through my body, and then they exploded when I did. I slumped over the rail when I came back down, and with a few more thrusts Damon finished himself, releasing inside of me.

His hot breath hit my ear as he panted, and a few short moments later he asked, "You okay?"

I lazily smiled up at him over my shoulder, "I'm perfect."

He hummed a laugh and pulled out of me, then pulled his jeans back up. I put my shorts and panties back on, then said, "What do you say we move this to the bedroom?" He smiled a little, but it didn't reach his ears. Something was on his mind. My playful smile dropped and I wrapped my good arm around his waist, "What's up?"

He tucked a lock of my tangled hair behind my ear and said, "You know I love you."

I smiled a little with my brows drawn together, "I know…I love you too. Now what's going on?"

"Nothing." He insisted. "I just want to make sure I didn't completely ambush you with the whole moving in thing."

"Oh. It was a surprise, that's for sure."

"Too much of a surprise?"

"Of course not." I told him gently. "I wouldn't have said yes unless I meant it. If anything, I should be asking you if you're okay with it. I mean, we haven't known each other more than a few months, and for me to move in with you and two young children is a big deal."

"Elena, don't ever doubt that we all want you in our lives. You told me that the house you're in now is only temporary, so with tourist season ending pretty soon here, that means winter, and you'd need to be out by then anyways. It just made sense to ask you to move in, and when I brought it up with Alex and Mia they both promised they were more than okay with it."

"Okay." I smiled a little, meeting Damon in the middle for a kiss. "You can't take it back now, because I'm _really_ looking forward to waking up with you every morning and falling asleep with you every night."

"Well that's gonna be a problem." I furrowed my brows. "There will be no falling asleep at night, only dirty, sweaty things—"

"Damon!"

He chuckled then wrapped me up even tighter in his arms, and we both looked up at the sky. It was a cloudless night, and it seemed like millions and billions of stars were visible.

After a moment, I broke the silence, "So I move in, and then what happens?"

Damon sighed heavily, "Well, I'd imagine the same thing that happens to every couple. You move in, we date for a few more months or maybe even a year before I finally pop the question, and you agree to marry me because you've accepted that at twenty six, you've reached your prime and you want to start a family before you're too old. Another year later we get married, and then you get pregnant. We have a few kids and they grow up and move out, and then when we're old and alone together we grow to hate each other. You resent me because I ruined your body with three kids, I loathe you and your constant nagging, and then we both die miserable deaths because we settled in our youth."

I glared up at him then pouted, "It's my birthday, don't make me sad."

He smiled and kissed my cheek, then tried, "Okay, how about this. You move in, and we work on raising our beautiful niece and nephew together. A little ways down the line, I decide that I'm so in love with you that I can't live without you, and I take you on a surprise vacation to Paris to ask you to marry me on the Eiffel tower."

"Ugh, so cliché." I interrupted playfully.

Damon amended, "Okay, not France. I take you to…the flower fields at sunset for a date. We ride on my motorcycle, and you're wearing a white dress that blows in the breeze. Your hair is just like it is now, tangled from the wind and hanging wild around your face. I get down on one knee and show you the most beautiful ring you could ever imagine, and you say yes before I even get a word out. You give me just enough time to put the ring on your finger before you're on top of me and we're both lying naked on the ground."

"Started off sweet, now you're nearing vulgar." I teased.

He chuckled and kissed my ear, "And after I propose, we have a shotgun wedding in a few weeks because neither of us can stand not being married to the other for another minute."

"That sounds about right." I hummed contentedly. "Then what happens?"

"Then, after a few months of blissful marriage, you end up knocked up. What you'll never find out is that my mom actually poked holes in all of the condoms because she was so desperate for more grandkids."

I cringed, "Oh, ew, please don't bring your mother into a sex fantasy."

"Gross." He shivered. "I wasn't. I was just merely suggesting that you should get used to that idea now, because eventually it's going to be your reality."

I fought a laugh, "I guess I'll just have to stick to birth control."

"Don't underestimate her. She'll probably replace your pills with sugar pills."

I shook my head un amusement, "Okay, what happens after you knock me up?"

"Your feet swell up, you puke every morning for a while—you know, the usual. But then nine months later, our first bundle of spit up and dirty diapers arrives."

"No joy in that bundle." I quipped.

"No there is not." He agreed. "So now we've got an infant on top of two other kids, but it's alright because my mom helps out. She takes Alex and Mia when we're too tired from staying up all night just staring at the baby we made together."

"Who does the baby look like more?"

"She's got your eyes and my hair. A perfect blend of us both." He told me as if it was a fact. "And as she grows up, she ends up being a lot more like her mom. Stubborn and feisty, a lethal combination for the terrible two's."

"If you're trying to talk me out of kids, you're doing a pretty good job." I joked.

"You should be scared." He insisted. "Because just as she's starting the never ending cycle of tantrums, we find out you're pregnant _again_ , and this time my mom's not to blame. You see, the dog that we got for Christmas tore up all of the condoms and you're still off the pill, so we risked it."

"So we've never actually tried for a baby?" I asked, amused.

He smirked, "I'm getting to that part, just wait." I rolled my eyes and he continued, "So now we've got an almost three year old and another baby. Alex is just about entering his teenage years so we're dealing with all sorts of awkward puberty on top of it all."

"Ugh, don't make me think about it." I pouted.

He continued anyways, "We're running ourselves ragged with all of those kids, but we love every second of it. This time the little baby looks just like me, with the same lady-killer blue eyes. When he turns two, we figure out he's got the smirk down too. A few years go by, we're raising our four kids, and then it hits us that we don't have any babies anymore. Our youngest is six and no longer needs our full attention, so what do we do?"

"We start trying for another baby." I answered with a smile.

"That's right." He confirms with a wink. "But it doesn't happen right away like it did with the first two. It takes a few months of trying, not that either of us are complaining about all of the sex. Seriously, I fuck you everywhere and anywhere, and we pawn off all our kids when you're ovulating so we can turn our house into a sex den."

"And you're entering vulgar territory again."

"Anyways, eventually you do get pregnant. But there's a little surprise this time. It's twins."

I dramatically gasped, "Oh, how are we ever going to manage _two_ babies at once?"

"That's what we spend the next nine months figuring out." He smirked. "But when they arrive, it's like none of that matters. We figure it out right then and there, because we make some pretty adorable babies, Elena Gilbert."

I giggled, "Okay, so we have like a thousand children. Now skip ahead to when they're all married off or in college or moved out, whatever."

"Okay, so now that we're in our sixties, living by ourselves once again, we couldn't be happier. Because our house is never empty. We've got grandkids upon grandkids, and they keep us on our toes. We watch them all day and then their parents pick them up at night, and all it takes is one look and we're back it like bunnies."

"Please don't make me think about old people sex, even if it's us." I grimaced.

He rolled his eyes, "Alright, fine. But you better get used to it, because it's gonna happen. We're not becoming celibate once we turn fifty." I blew out a laugh. "But after the deed is done, we're laying in bed together, and I'm looking at you, thinking I've never seen a woman more beautiful. I've watched you birth thousands of children, as you put it, and I've watched you raise them all. I'm so in love with you that I don't know what to do with myself, and I couldn't be happier that I get to grow old with you."

"You've painted quite the picture in my mind." I smiled. "I think I like it."

"You better." He kissed my forehead. "Because it's our future, and I won't let anything change that."

I sighed happily then shared, "I've had a lot of time lately to think about everything that led me to you. All of the horrors I had to live through, the abuse, getting _shot_ …it was all something from a living nightmare."

Damon bit his tongue to stop from blurting out what he really wanted to say. It was probably something insensitive for the moment, so before he had the chance to say it anyways I continued talking.

"You were my silver lining, Damon." He looked surprised for a split second, then intrigued. I pressed on, "Everything I went through, the _years_ of pain and sadness were all worth it because they led me to you. I came here to run from him and hide out for the rest of my life, but I ended up falling in love with a man that didn't deserve to be brought into my problems. Yet you stood by me even when you found out the truth."

"Of course I wasn't going to let you walk away, Elena, I'm completely in love with you!" He said exasperatedly, making me smile.

"Every time I felt like I was going to break, you were there to keep me together, even when you didn't know it. You were my light in the darkness, Damon. The silver lining in this whole nightmare. And I love you for not giving up on me when I had given up on myself."

Damon crushed me to his chest and I melted into him like an ice cube melts on a hot frying pan. Without pulling back to look at me, he softly promised, "I'll always be your silver lining, baby. I will _never_ let anyone hurt you again."

I closed my eyes and fought back the tears that threatened to fall.

God, I loved him so much.

And right now, standing outside in his arms with our little family just inside our house, I knew that I finally found the place I was always meant to be.


End file.
